May the Season Shine Upon You

It's been a long time again! I need to try and make a New Year's rez to get on here and post something at least once a week. Well, something relevant. Really shouldn't be that difficult, right? My hope for the coming year is health, happiness and prosperity to everyone out there, or at least those that come across my blog and this post in particular.

As far as the economy, I think things are starting to S-L-O-W-L-Y turn, ever so snail-like in Michigan, but it's definitely getting better. So, in closing, may the mysteries of life shine upon you and yours and may you have a bright and beautiful Holiday Season!

Been a long time since I blogged and rolled

Yeah, bad reference to a great song. I just felt like posting since it's been a long time. Summer came and went. Been writing as much as time allows. My new job at Indigo Studios has kept me busier into the night than the last place I was at. Namely because most of the activity is out of Michigan and requires more research. Working on my third book, a thriller about a Chicago hitman retired in Detroit and his Detroit cop son. I'm about 52,000 words in. Enjoy the rest of the summer. Hope to see you in stores with my second book, The Claw. All I need is an agent and a publisher. I'll try and keep you all posted.

Journalist, moi? I think not

Not sure if anyone even reads this blog anymore, but I've been contributing columns to a new sports' website, www.motorcitysports.net. If you come across this blog, check out the site. It's devoted to Detroit and its teams, athletes and news. The writers are mostly journalists. I am certainly no journalist, nor do I pretend to be. My intent is to write a fun, interesting column for people to read. Please take a minute or two to check out the site. My latest piece is called Millen Memories. There are three others; The Sport of Fishing, Bleacher Creatures, and a Q&A with comedian/tv star Dave Coulier. If you read them, send me a comment, even if it's disparaging, just to let me know you care.

Eight Dogs goes international

So my friend sends me a couple photos telling me about his gal friend that recently went on a mission trip to Tanzania, Africa. He says that the city is known for its famed Masai Warriors; the tall guys in robes that kill rogue lions with spears. He says that now those guys are seen chatting on cell phones and drinking triple espressos at Starbucks. So he sets me up even more by saying that his friend spotted one of these revered warriors reading a book...
Love it. Is that great or what?

New Job!

I started working as a rep for Indigo Studios in Atlanta on February 1st. It is nothing short of divine intervention that I went fom working at a studio full of unique talent to another studio with equally stellar creatives on staff. After 19 years at a great company, the automotive crisis and the economy hit us, and the time was right for me to make a move. Indigo is based in Atlanta and I'm fortunate to be able to work from home via remote desktop. It's been a challenging transition to acclimate to the new studio culture, namely that I am physically the only one in the new studio culture! Thankfully, because of the Skype camera, I am able to teleconference every day with the folks in Atlanta. It's an exciting time but getting acclimated has found me behind in my writing and the pursuit of agents and national publishers for my next two books. I'm back at it though, slowly and surely. Stay tuned.

Beating winter

Not entirely possible but after feeling absolutely boxed in the last week due to frigid temperatures, the balmy 18 degree day, with a brisk 20 mph wind beckoned my two youngest daughters to ask, "Can we go sledding, dad?"
How do you say no to that? Answer: you don't! You through on the long ones, thick socks and load em up. We had a right. Them, flying down the hill, and me watching. Believe it or not, they are at the Jonas Brothers concert at Joe Louis. Evidently, they're some kind of "pop band" that is marginally popular amongst young girls.

Popeye Knows Best

I think about this vocation I'm in, the arts. And it brings up questions. For instance, why was I born right-brained? Why didn't God just switch things, so I wouldn't be filled with all these images and ideas, these ridiculous stories and dreams of what life has in store for me on a creative front. I think it would be so wonderful to have the kind of mind that understands math, science, that can figure out a mechanical problem and apply the principles learned through proper schooling.
Of course, it's a ridiculous wish.
I can't change what I am. Working at an art studio for 19 years, and struggling to break into the writing game is proving as difficult as was getting that first paying job as a free-lance illustrator.
The city stumbles and struggles, but as Detroiters, we keep our head down and trudge forward.
One step at a time.
The footing is precarious. And the temptation to flee is there.
But for me anyway, it's a siren song I'll never answer.
Family and friends.
The beauty of the north country.
All of it keeps me trying to make it here.
So like Popeye was fond of saying, "I yam what I yam."

2009

Bring it.