This isn't really an article - It's more of an elongated news
post. And I don't want to use the word "blog".
Okay folks, I seem to fall off the face of the Earth quite often.
For that, I apologize. Here's what's been going on since I last
updated:
First things first, I quit my job
of ten years. I
came to work one day, and just decided enough was enough. I wasn't
satisfied with the direction my life was taking, and the job made me
feel like a complete failure, so I finally gave my notice. This was the only
full-time job I've worked as an adult. Quitting it was the hardest
decision I've ever made, and I will miss the steady paycheck. I've basically spent the past
couple of months
wondering what I'm going to do. (My last day of work was Wednesday, August 17).
This decision was for the best, but yeah, I still need to figure out
a way to pay the bills.
I began to update my resumes on the job sites I frequent. I spent
the first few weeks calling around and studying the job openings. I
applied for a few Flash and Web Design contract jobs here and there.
Freelance Animations - Here's the fun part: I was recently
contracted to create two animation shorts for Subway! They're both finished, but since I
was contracted to do them, I can't host 'em here. I don't own the
rights. I will link to
them once their site goes live. I'm really psyched about this. It
was a dream-come-true moment for me, to actually get paid to do
something I love. I was so happy after I finished the first one that
I felt a burst of energy (some kind of endorphin rush?) that
literally made me want to go for a run. Or do jumping jacks or
something - And I hate exercising! I was actually walking around my
apartment smiling, which is something I never do. So maybe
"Freelance Animator" is something I'd like to get
into?
The cartoons turned out pretty well, by the way. I will link to
them as soon as I can.
Web Design - I may also get the opportunity to design a businesswoman's
website. I put a classified up on MySpace.com ("Webmaster
Available"),
and I was contacted. She says the site will need to be updated
often, so this can potentially be a good thing. I need to get back
in contact with her soon...
Deli Game - A lot of the jobs I applied
for were Flash jobs. Just to make sure I could still write a simple
game, I wrote Carpal Tunnel Deli, which is based on my work
experiences at my old job. Yes, I was a deli clerk. I wanted to have animated characters, but
I used cards instead to simplify gameplay (And to save time. Duh). In a future version of
the game, I will implement bonuses which can stop or slow the game's
timer, allowing skilled players to play longer.
Bobtheball.com
- About a year and a half ago, I went to
register bobtheball.com, and guess what?
A squatter stole the domain name!
I waited over a year for the domain to expire,
which was July of this year, if I'm not mistaken. The domain finally
expired, and became available for auction. I paid a fee to join a
service where I could bid on the domain. I placed a bid on the site,
and the error message was "This site not available for
bidding!" or something along those lines. The squatter put the
domain on REGISTRAR-LOCK. ARRRGH! I gave up for several months
and I'd forgotten all about the site until I
found out that it was available again last month (September).
I
bought the domain, that's what I'm trying to say. There is a bobtheball.com now, but I currently
only have it pointing to the animation section. I plan to do more
with it in the future. I've been dabbling with a site design for it.
I haven't come up with anything I'm satisfied with yet.
Bob 3?
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