For the first time since 2007, I am able to attend Further Confusion! It looks like I'll be meeting a ton of people for the first time and I can't wait to see you all.

I will be at the con from Thursday evening until midday Monday. Let me know if you're going and how to reach you at the con. If anyone would like to find me there, the best way is to send me a message on Twitter (either mention or DM) via SobaTheBear. Notes here on FA will also do in a pinch.

I'll share a general a life update after the convention. I hope everyone is doing great in the meantime.

It's been a long while since I posted here! Here's a small update.

My job is going well and I'm feeling upbeat, but despite trying to budget appropriately before accepting my job here, I ran into a big problem: I can't ride mass transit.

Ever since I was very young, I have had a problem with motion sickness that causes unbelievable dizziness, nausea, and problems with equilibrium. Never having lived in a large city before, I've never had to deal with lengthy commutes on buses or trains with frequent starting and stopping motions. I learned the hard way that I am limited to walking or driving a vehicle of my own here (and I no longer own a car). Ferries are out, as well; I tried to commute from across the bay for about 2 weeks and went to work very sick every morning with dizziness lasting for days afterwards. This problem goes back over 30 years and we've never found a way to mitigate it, and it seems I just need to deal with it.

So, I am limited to living very near to work, which is in the heart of San Francisco's financial district where rents are among the highest in the entire United States.

I currently live near Chinatown, but I do not wish to continue paying $4000 a month for a 1-bedroom apartment, so I am looking for sane, responsible, clean roommate(s). Perhaps I'm posting on the wrong web site for this? :)

If anyone is looking for a roommate in San Francisco in Nob Hill, North Beach, SoMa, Chinatown, South Beach, or the vicinity, please let me know. I'm flexible on budget, but I'm hoping for less than ~$2800 a month for my share of expenses.

My needs are actually pretty basic and I'd settle for much less if it meant saving more money; I get fed 3 meals a day at the office and don't even need a kitchen, really!

Just to be clear: There is no emergency and I am not being thrown out of my current apartment; I'm simply looking for ways not to waste most of my income on housing.

All is well otherwise and I am gradually getting my footing here. I'll have more details to share in a bit. Thanks for any help, everyone!

Just a brief journal to let everyone know that I am now safely living in San Francisco after a rather tiring move. I just completed my first week at my new job and it looks like it's going to be a great place to work. I am living in San Francisco proper for the time being, but I am planning to move out to the suburbs and perhaps rent a house in Walnut Creek to cut down on expenses sometime in the autumn.

Anthrocon was one of my best conventions in years, and as always, I saw so many friends who made it as special as could be. The timing caused some minor problems with my move, which occurred immediately after I returned home from the con, but all turned out well! Next year's will be my 15th AC and I look forward to seeing everyone there.

I'll have more updates after I get better settled here in California, but things are looking up.

I will be at Anthrocon! Even though I move to San Francisco the week after the convention, I will be in Pittsburgh from midday Wednesday until midday Monday, staying at the Westin.

Please flag me down if you see me. As I always remind everyone, my vision doesn't make it easy for me to pick people out of crowds, so please don't be shy about saying hi.

If you'd like to find me during the con, either text me (if you have my number) or send a tweet or DM to @ SobaTheBear on Twitter. I will be checking FA, but only once a day or so, so Notes here may not be seen right away.

I look forward to seeing everyone there! Who's going? :)

As of a few hours ago, I have accepted a job as a Technical Writer in San Francisco! I'm ecstatic to have found work at a great startup and I'm looking forward to beginning work. Good job, good money, and a good city to be in for a techie (albeit very pricey). I expect to move in mid- to late July, but I will still be at Anthrocon.

This has been a long time coming and nearly anyone I've spent time with in the last few years has listened to my stories of how difficult times have been, so this is an amazing event. Financial problems and professional stagnation have been the norm since my Italy plans fell through. Things are finally on the upswing.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your support. I hope that my future achievements will justify the faith in me that you have all expressed so generously. Friends are truly precious things.

Onward and upward!

Hey, everyone!

Just a brief update to mention that I'm about to fly to San Francisco for a job interview, so I will be in the Bay area for a few days starting this evening. I will not have time to meet up with friends while I'm there, but I am hoping for a safe trip and (hopefully) some positive results from the interview, so good wishes would be most welcome.

Thanks again, everyone, for all of your support.

Hello everyone,

I had a wonderful time at Furnal Equinox and enjoyed the company of many equally wonderful friends. I don't usually do journal shout-outs because I'll inevitably and inadvertently leave someone out, only to feel terrible about it. You all know who you are, and you all know just how important you are to me. Thank you for a wonderful convention that brought no end of happy times and broad smiles. :)

Looking ahead, I'm being courted by a couple of places for work (and quite good jobs, at that), so I am hoping for good news during the spring. A new batch of coursework starts in early April and I'm working on some extra skill development of my own, so my fingers are crossed that I can finally close the deal on a new job and start getting my life back in order. Odds are good that I will find new employment as a Technical Writer, or some close variation thereof.

Even if my circumstances are still difficult, I feel very optimistic. Thank you, all, for helping me through the mess.

Onward and upward.

Hi everyone,

I will be at Furnal Equinox in Toronto and I plan to be at the hotel from Thursday March 12–Monday March 16, so I hope to see you there!

A certain Welsh German Shepherd in the person of  DaiCymru is flying all the way across the pond to be my roommate this year (first time I've ever had a roomie at this convention, despite it being my 4th time attending) so I'm sure we'll get into lots of trouble together.

A somewhat embarrassing reminder: Please flag me down if you see me and don't be offended if I don't notice you right away. My vision isn't great and I am notorious for walking right by people I've known for years, so help me out and please say hi. I often wear very visible, large badges, so I should be easy to spot. Watch for the tall fellow with a shaved head, if nothing else!

Whom will I see there? ^__^

Just a brief update to let everyone know what I'm up to!

My spring semester is underway and I am studying full-time for my Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction. It's a fun degree program so far (much better than I expected!) and I hope this continues to be the case. I'm definitely going to have a full schedule this semester. Nearly all of these courses appear to have fairly intense workloads, but I think I'll be doing some great projects along the way.

I am still looking for work, but I have been having numerous interviews, which is an excellent change of circumstance compared to last year. I hope to have some good news to share in the near future, as it would make me jump for joy to get my career going again and to bring home a paycheck.

To be candid, unpleasant past circumstances continue to haunt me, but I am doing my best to keep my chin up and look forward rather than backward. Things are finally turning around and I am doing my best to make it so.

I will be at Furnal Equinox in early March barring a major change of job/life circumstances before then. As always, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of friends there.

Onward and upward. I hope everyone else is well, also.

Wishing all of my watchers and friends who celebrate it a very merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate Christmas, please know that I'm thinking of you, anyway, and I am wishing all the best for you.

It's amazing to me how quickly this month has flown by, but I've completed some very important work in the last 4 weeks and I am looking forward to a great year in 2015. I've no doubt that some marvelous things are coming down the pike.

Everyone enjoy the time with your families and friends. See you all soon.

It's that time of the year again!

As I always do, I will be sending Christmas cards out to everyone in the next couple of weeks. If you would like a card, please let me know.

If you have never received a card from me before and would like one, please be sure to note me your real name and mailing address, or feel free to e-mail me at SobaTheBear[at]gmail.com if you do not trust the note system here. I'd be glad to mail you a little Christmas cheer! If you received a card last year and have not moved since then, rest assured that I still have your address and you will receive a card again this year.

If you do not celebrate Christmas, I would be glad to send you a card, regardless. Just let me know what holiday you do celebrate and I'll be glad to write an appropriate greeting for you.

It does not matter where you live, as I send cards worldwide and in numerous languages every year! Being a linguist, that's part of the fun. Please don't be shy about asking for one.

After a great time at Furpocalypse, I came down with some nasty con crud and have been nursing a cold for the last week, but I'm finally on the mend!

I have been neglecting this site since I moved in mid-Summer and I am eager to start interacting here again. In hindsight, my inactivity here has been driven largely by personal issues and goes back quite a lot farther than that, but I'm slowly but steadily getting my footing back. I've really missed everyone!

Looking ahead, there is a small chance I will be able to make it to Midwest Furfest in December, but this will depend heavily on my semester projects. If scheduling permits, then I will make every effort to be there!

Onward and upward. :)

I will be at Furpocalypse from Thursday evening until midday Monday, so if anyone would like to meet up or just needs to reach me while there, please poke me on Twitter! SobaTheBear is my Twitter account.

I look forward to seeing everyone there! The weekend away from home will definitely be a good time.

Just a brief journal to let everyone know that I will be in Connecticut at Furpocalypse, the convention that replaced Furfright, on Halloween weekend. So who else is going? ^__^

I've been very dormant here for some time, but I do plan to come back in the near future and catch up. I have also restarted my job search and have some promising leads, so I hope to have a paycheck again in the near future. Fingers are crossed.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the convention!

I really should apologize for being so quiet on this site for most of the last 12 months. I hope to get caught up and leave a lot of comments for everyone, just as I used to do regularly.

Things are going very well for me. I've restarted my Master's degree after a 7-year hiatus and I am also studying a lot of Graphic Design to help me with my second career. So far, so good! It's a bit of a cultural adjustment taking courses at a community college after spending all of my prior undergrad and grad work exclusively at a large, private university, but thus far things seem quite positive and I have no doubts at all about the direction I'm headed.

Now I just need to secure a job and I'll be all set. Hopefully I will have some good news on that front before too long.

Thanks for looking out for me, everyone. I expect to be at Furpocalypse (formerly Furfright) at the end of October, so I look forward to seeing everyone there.

And to reiterate, I will start posting my own artwork here before the end of the year, though I will warn everyone not to expect anything great to flow from my pencil for a very long while. :P

Onward and upward.

After one of my most enjoyable Anthrocons ever, I returned home from Pittsburgh at about 2AM on Tuesday morning. I was thrilled to see so many friends and I kept bumping into familiar faces! There are too many to name and I'd feel horrible if I started listing names and then left someone out, so I will just say a big thank you to everyone for making the weekend as special as it was. I really was quite happy the whole time! :)

Now that the con is over, I am turning my attention to moving and getting set up to return to school in August. I am moving to my new apartment before the end of July, which should make my life FAR more comfortable and less stressful on a day to day basis. My classes get rolling on August 25th, and I am mostly set for those; I'm still working out details on financial aid and scholarship money, but everything is coming together.

Thank you, everyone, for your support and encouraging words. It has been a very rough time for me since the end of 2011, but I think I am finally pulling out of it. I am concerned about shaky finances going forward (the new apartment is no cheaper than my current one and I have no roommates), but I will find a way to bring it all under control.

Onward and upward.

Hello everyone,

I'll be at Anthrocon beginning midday Wednesday until late Monday. If you'd like to meet up with me (and I hope to see a lot of you there!), then the best way is to send me a Tweet at @SobaTheBear, whether a direct message or just a mention. My phone has been temporarily set up to buzz me immediately in either case. You can also note me here, but I will only be checking FA once or twice a day, so that isn't the best option if time is of the essence.

I somehow end up taking most of my meals alone at AC, so I'd love some company for food!

Safe travels, everyone! See you in Pittsburgh. :)

First, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes my way yesterday! I was utterly overwhelmed with all of the well wishes and I hope I didn't miss anyone when replying to each of them. I also received some really wonderful gift art (a few of which can be found in my recent faves here), which were all beautiful and unexpected surprises.

As just about everyone knows, I've been going through some difficult times the last couple of years. The fact I have so many who care so much about me is what has helped to keep me going, and days like yesterday where everyone went out of their way to make me feel special really drive the point home. I sometimes worry that I don't make it clear just how much my friends mean to me, but I do my best to spread smiles around, even when there are some dark clouds blocking out some of the light. Thank you, all, for doing so much to keep my spirits up.

Anthrocon: As mentioned before, I will be at Anthrocon from midday Wednesday through Monday evening, staying at the Westin. Please say hi if you see me! I'd love to speak with you, but please forgive me if I walk by you without realizing you're there. My eyes are not great, so by all means, flag me down or I am just going to embarrass myself by inadvertently ignoring you. :P

Moving Plans Changed: I posted previously that I was planning to move to Pittsburgh. After a lot of thought, and hitting the breaking point of frustration with my fruitless job search (which has gone on for over 18 months), I decided to shelve that idea. I am giving up on my job search and staying here locally to go back to school starting in late August, pursuing my Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction plus a lot of supplemental traditional art and design coursework to round it out. All of this is already set, so there should be no hiccups that prevent it from coming off.

I've been considering this degree (and the art/design piece of it) since 2005. I have been completely stagnant for nearly 2 years and it is time to get started on something new. I am leaving my old career in IT operations work behind, with the exception of some part-time/student co-op work during my degree program to help keep the wolves from the door.

I am, however, moving locally to a brand new, beautiful apartment that costs nearly the same as the run-down dump I've been living in for over 2-1/2 years. In-unit washer and dryer, central air-conditioning, forced air heating, a spare room, ample closet space - the place is palatial compared to what I've been dealing with here. It's also in a low-crime area, is close to both the university and community college where I'll be taking courses, and will very likely not have a serious insect problem like this place. My move will take place at the end of July, assuming no problems with my rental application.

I'm feeling far more positive about things, already. Thanks again, everyone; I couldn't do this without you. Onward and upward!

Things are finally starting to look up!

In a previous journal, I mentioned that I was planning to move to the southeast or to California to continue my job search and try to start fresh. After thinking about it more, I'm going to give Pittsburgh a shot as an intermediate step. It's within reasonable driving distance, is a significantly larger city than where I live now, and because of numerous prior visits, I already know the area somewhat and have contacts there. While it's not exactly booming economically, there does seem to be a fair amount of opportunity for someone like me with high-tech skills. It's also a much safer idea than moving 2500 miles to San Francisco and splitting an apartment with multiple, unknown roommates for $1200 a month, so off I go. I do not have a job yet, but I have been speaking to local recruiters, so I'm bound to land something sooner or later.

I move out of my apartment here on June 30th. I will be at Anthrocon (most likely arriving a day or two early) and I will remain in Pittsburgh permanently after the convention is over.

Of course, if I manage to land a job outside of Pittsburgh, I will be moving to wherever the job is, but the odds of that happening at this point are slim.

It's good to finally be able to take a step forward. Onward and upward.

Whom will I see at Anthrocon? :)

By some miracle, my eBay auctioneering and some sporadic consulting work are allowing me to keep my bills paid off, though just barely. Small victories! I'm somewhat amazed that I have managed to tread water for such a long time, but that's exactly what I'm doing.

I have been rejected or completely ignored for 40 job applications since mid-October, and have somehow failed to secure even a single callback - let alone an actual interview - in over 5 months. I have changed my tactics a bit recently, and that will hopefully yield some better results going forward. I do keep trying!

And now looking ahead: My lease on this apartment expires June 30th. If I renew my lease, I have no option but to renew for 12 months, which I frankly cannot afford to do absent steady income because I will have exhausted my inventory of salable items by the end of Summer and will be unable to raise enough cash to continue living here. So, I need to move. The question is, where? At the moment, I'm considering two options.

I will be in Atlanta for about a week starting March 26th - just missing Furry Weekend Atlanta, in a case of impeccable timing, but my finances don't allow me to enjoy a con, anyway. Why? I'm going to investigate Georgia Tech for a promising Master's degree program, but it looks like I will not be able to start that until 2015, as all of their seats are full for the 2014 academic year. If I like what I see there next week, I may move to Atlanta in short order to get myself settled and gear up for school next year. I may even find a job in the interim, considering Atlanta is a pretty vibrant place and is blooming with high-tech companies.

The other option I am considering is making a speculative move to California and couch surfing with friends while I pursue job leads. Most of the industries I'm familiar with are concentrated in the Bay area or further south toward L.A. and it may be a good idea to pitch my tent out there, thus making myself a much more attractive candidate when I apply for work. This option is a bit riskier considering the expense of living in Cali and my utterly depleted savings, but it may have a better payoff.

I'm open to other realistic suggestions and am keeping my options open until moving day.

In any case, I will be moving within three months, and must make a decision in two months as to where. Staying here is not an option. Stay tuned.

Incidentally, I'm driving from New York to Atlanta (I need a car while I'm there, so flying really would not save me money given the cost of renting a vehicle) and I'm hoping to visit a few friends along the way. Would anyone like to get together if time permits?

Onward and upward.

Well, anyone who was at Furnal Equinox today and was looking for me probably discerned that I was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, I woke up last night with some nasty stomach trouble and was in no condition to travel today. A fine time to fall ill! Quite disappointed, as I was looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting a few others for the first time.

Sorry, everyone. I hope I didn't inconvenience anyone by bailing out without warning. :<

On the plus side, I'm feeling a bit better and was pretty productive at home. As promised, I'll have a larger update soon.

I will be at Furnal Equinox on Saturday, only, but I will be there! :)

Finances in no way allow for a full con experience, hence the one-day visit; the con is only about 2-1/2 hours from me, so it's just a modest investment in gasoline and food. I'm very much looking forward to seeing everyone.

I'll post a larger update sometime after the convention, as it's been a while.

Just a brief update to wish everyone a very happy new year. :)

I don't have much in the way of news, so this will be a bit short. I have had 2 weeks off from my part-time job, but I return to work on January 6th. I am eligible for transfer as of February 12th, and I continue to look for full-time work on my own, so I am hopeful that I can finally get back into a full-time salaried position before the winter is out.

If I do not have good job prospects by March, I expect to attend the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco (for the first time since 2011) to shake a lot of hands and explore job opportunities. Work is bound to turn up sooner or later!

I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am to all of my friends - both on this site and elsewhere - who have lent me so much support over the last 2 years. 2013 was utterly miserable right up until the late Autumn, but I am starting out 2014 on the right foot and feel very optimistic about the future for the first time in a long while!

Thanks for being awesome, everyone. :)

Onward and upward.

Christmas season is upon us and as usual, I am hard at work on my Christmas card list! I feel rather bad after last year, because I was not able to send my cards out as I'd planned; almost no one got a card in 2012. I would definitely like to correct that this year, and if you have ever sent me your address in past years, I still have it and you will definitely receive a card from me this year.

Even if you have never met me, if you're reading this, I would be very happy to send you a card in the mail. If you would like to receive a card, please send me a note with your mailing address and I would be very happy to send you a card. It does not matter if you live outside the USA, as I send cards worldwide every year! Being a linguist, I will even send Christmas greetings in your language and then you can laugh at my horrible handwriting. :)

You do not need to send me a card in return, but of course I would be very happy to receive one from you if you would like to send me one.

Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, I would be glad to send you a card commemorating whatever holiday you do celebrate (or even just a greeting affiliated with no holiday), so please just let me know and I would be glad to send you an appropriate greeting.

This journal will stay up until late December, so please feel free to send a note anytime. I would be glad to send you a card, even if it is a little late in the season.

And now, I shall embarrass myself by displaying my meager language skills...

-- Italiano --

Vorresti ricevere una cartolina di Natale? Se è così, mandami il tuo indirizzo e te ne invierò una. Non è necessario spedirmene una in cambio, ma naturalmente, sarei molto contento riceverla. Se non festeggi il Natale, posso inviarti una cartolina con un saluto adatto. Prego!

-- Français --

Voudrais-tu recevoir une carte Noël? S'il en est ainsi, m'envoie ton adresse et je t'en envoyer. Ce n'est pas nécessaire de m'envoyer une carte en échange, mais bien sûr, je serais heureux de la recevoir. Si tu ne célèbres pas le Noël, je peux t'envoyer une carte avec une salutation appropriée. S'il te plaît!

-- 日本語 --

クリスマスカードと年賀状を送ってもいいですか？いいなら、Noteでご住所を送って頂きますか？お返事を出さなくてもいいんですけど、もちろん、カードを頂く事が大好きです。皆さんのNoteをお楽しみにしています！

-- 中文 -- （對不起！我中文說得不很好。:< ）

我想要寄出你一個聖誕卡！請給我你的地址。你不得給我一個卡片，可是我很喜歡得到郵件。

I wanted to leave a short journal that actually sounds a bit more positive!

Things are starting to look up. Though I am barely scraping by financially, I am managing to hold things together. eBay auctions are helping a lot and those will be ongoing through the end of Winter, or until I move for a new job - whichever comes first!

I have managed to land a part-time job at a hotel not far from here and I start work there November 12th. This is entry-level stuff and it is only short-term work until I find something full-time, but the income will help and the experience in the hospitality industry may be an enormous asset going forward depending on the direction I take my career. I feel pretty good about what I will be doing, as it involves a lot of guest interaction and of course I'm good with people. Even if it ends up not being useful in the future, this beats retail work during the madness that is Christmas season!

Because of my financial situation (and now my new job), I will not be at MFF in Chicago as planned. I hope to finally get my convention schedule back on track starting in 2014 so I can start visiting friends again; going so long between visits makes life rather cheerless. I'm going to see if I can mail the convention a box of items that I'd planned to bring with me for the charity auction, so perhaps I can do some good even in absentia.

As before, my long-term job hunt continues and is beginning to look more promising. I'm glad to be making progress.

Thanks again to everyone for being there for me and helping me through a very difficult time in my life. Things are improving, and I definitely am feeling a bit better these days. Some personal problems are still unresolved and seem rather intractable right now, but I will fix them in due time.

Onward and upward. :)