After much toil and anguish, I somehow managed to secure another on-site interview with Blizzard!

I will be going on-campus at Blizzard next Wednesday. Hopefully this time, the result will be more positive!

I am now back at SuperVillain Studios, but only on a short-term contract basis. The pay is good, though it isn't quite as much as I was making before. However, it's real income!

This really is a blessing; it will help keep my family fed & clothed until I can find full-time employment.

Thank you once again, SuperVillain Studios!

I want to say that I'm sorry I haven't been on FA very much lately. Most of my time has been dedicated to searching for a job. I do, however, check FA from time to time, so I'm not completely absent.

...of the unemployed.

Wow... after a wild, crazy, and wonderful 6 year run, my employment with SuperVillain Studios came to an abrupt end today. The company has run low on finances, and our most recent contract has been put on indeterminate hold. It no longer makes financial sense for the company to continue to employ me, so I got laid off today.

I have loved working with this company, and I am very sad to leave it. The company owners have got to be the most ethical and honest guys for whom I have ever had the honor and privilege of working.

Now, as I start the process of looking for another job, I'm not so worried about finding another job as I am about working in such a good environment as the one I just left.

Farewell, SuperVillain Studios. You've been good to me.

Last night was my first night out fursuiting with a group (see the pic here: http://www.furaffinity.net/full/5096351/ ). It was tons of fun! We interacted with a bunch of folks, and I really tried to follow the (unwritten?) law that suiters aren't supposed to talk. I was trying to pantomime all of my responses as people spoke to me.

At one point, on the upper level in the 2nd tower of the hotel, we came across a little baby girl, not more than 14 months old, dressed in cute little otter jammies.  Shrag and I knelt down and interacted with her as she smiled at us and tried to grab our fingers.

What I didn't realize is that the baby's mother, standing next to her, was none other than  vinci_nicolaides !

She wrote about it in her journal here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2020746/

*giggles gleefully*

I love being a furry!

I'm off to FurCon, folks! I was up until 2:00 AM this morning finishing my suit, but it's pretty much done!

I will meet with  Xaqtly in Bakersfield this morning, and we'll carpool up to San Jose. For those of you who are going to be up at FurCon, I look forward to seeing you--look for the classy looking dragon wearing a dark suit with a bow tie.

Happy holidays and merry Christmas everyone! I'm heading up to Utah for Christmas and for my wife's brother's wedding. I'll be back after New Year's. Hopefully I will be able to connect and post while I'm out there.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I'm here at home with my wife and children, and my parents and youngest brother are staying with us. We're going to have a good-sized bunch of people around the table today.

May everyone feel a sense of gratitude today for the relationships, opportunities, and blessings that we enjoy.

Every year, almost like clockwork, I get a sinus infection. I'm not exactly sure how it happens, but it usually comes after I get a cold (however, it has happened on its own at times). As a result, I feel perfectly healthy, except for a constant tickle at the base of my neck as my sinuses drain into my trachea. So, without any other symptoms, I get a cough that just won't go away. Untreated, it can last for months.

So, I'm starting the 3rd week of infection, after spending all of last week taking a powerful antibiotic that was supposed to get rid of it. Lo and behold, I am still coughing, and my chest is starting to get sore.

SIGH... Back to the doctor tomorrow.

I had a crummy dream last night.

I dreamt that FurCon 2011 had already happened, and that it was totally lame. I didn't remember much at all from it, only that it passed, and I had some vague memories of hanging out in the hotel room with  Xaqtly and  LaurenRivers. I didn't get any fursuit hugs, I didn't go to any of the classes or workshops, I didn't go to any of the dances.

I felt really sad.

I was *very* happy to wake up this morning and realize that it was only a dream!

Well, here it is, folks--we're down to the end of our game project. For those of you who don't know, we're building a TRON game for the PSP, based on a time period between the first and second movies.

As it is with most game projects, we're getting down to the final deadlines for the game, and that means I get to spend 11+ hour days at work trying to fix all of the bugs and make sure every little thing works like it should.

Sadly, that means my artwork and the comic will be put on hold for the next few weeks. As much as I hate to put it aside, I have to focus on my work and my family right now.

I do, however, very much appreciate everyone who is watching me, and I want to put out a warm welcome to the new watchers who have recently added me to their list. I am honestly flattered that you guys would like my work well enough to watch me, and I hope I don't disappoint.

Well, we have our alpha deadline coming up a week from friday, and I've got a bunch of work that needs to be done by then. Until today, I felt pretty confident that I could get it all done in time.

However, my team lead just informed me today that I need to get all of my work done by THIS friday, effectively cutting a whole week off of my schedule. DOH!

Crunch time, folks. I'm probably going to be staying late this week, and won't get much arting done. *sigh*

Such is the gaming industry.

I believe I've mentioned Jon Ponkivar in some of my previous posts--he creates the comic http://www.peterandcompany.com . Well, Jon has recently had a case of pancreatitis, and hasn't been able to draw his comic due to shaky hands. So, a couple of weeks ago, Jon put out a request for fan art so that his comic website wouldn't be so static while he was recovering.

I took the challenge, and drew a single-panel comic using two of his characters. Imagine my delight when this morning, I got a note from Jon saying that he had posted my work on the front page of his website!

Take a look: http://www.peterandcompany.com/2010.....date-thin-ice/ . He even put a link back to my FA page!

Here's what he said on the site:

Continuing with the guest updates, today’s piece of artwork was drawn by Teric, a longtime fan and supporter of my artwork. He has also drawn several pieces of guest art for me in the past, but this one in particular really means a lot to me simply because of the subject matter. Seeing as how I write myself into Peter’s character, this piece really hits the mark with what I’m going through right now.

Okay — technically, I write my 12-year-old experiences into Peter’s character, and I never had to deal with pancreatitis as a kid — but still, the subject matter rings true regardless. Peter just needs some time to recover.

It put me into a fit of giggling glee to see MY work posted on a well-known webcomic artist's site.

Thank you for totally making my day, Jon!

On a whim,  Faye_88 decided to be really nice and did this badge for me:

http://www.furaffinity.net/full/3820498/

She has made some serious improvements in her art skills, and she's only going to get better. Not only that, she's a load of fun to chat with online, and she's an absolute crazy nut. Go check her out!

Thank you!

GAAAHHH

I may be losing my WACOM tablet here at work. For those that remember, I am only borrowing this tablet from the art department, and I agreed to return it if/when they hire more artists. Well the lead programmer just came by and said that they're hiring more artists, and that I may have to give it to one of the new hires.

SO, some time in the near future, I might very well have to give up this tablet.

*SSSIIIIGGGGHHHHH...*

I didn't realize just how attached I had become to this tool! Guess I'd better start saving my pennies and nickles to get one for myself. :(

yoinked from  JournyeFox

I am a NINE on the enneagram-test. Not all of it applies to me, but some of it does:

How to Get Along with Me

• If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure.

• I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this.

• Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit. (Actually, I don't think I meander when I speak--I like to get to the point.)

• Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally.

• Ask me questions to help me get clear.

• Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery. (I'm not so concerned about my appearance, but I do appreciate feedback on my accomplishments.)

• Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.

• I like a good discussion but not a confrontation. (SOOOO TRUE!)

• Let me know you like what I've done or said.

• Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.



What I Like About Being a NINE

• being nonjudgmental and accepting

• caring for and being concerned about others

• being able to relax and have a good time

• knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around

• my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator

• my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now

• being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe



What's Hard About Being a NINE

• being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive

• being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline (also true)

• being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally (Not so true--I'm not overly sensitive about eyebrow twitches and such, but I do take criticism personally, positive and negative. Doesn't mean I don't want feedback, though!)

• being confused about what I really want (not true. I know what I want in life.)

• caring too much about what others will think of me (Also not true. Most of the time I don't care what others think.)

• not being listened to or taken seriously



NINEs as Children Often

• feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant

• tune out a lot, especially when others argue (VERY true--I don't like conflict)

• are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves (only sometimes)



NINEs as Parents

• are supportive, kind, and warm

• are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

http://helloquizzy.okcupid.com/test.....enneagram-test

My children and I were sitting on family room floor this afternoon when the house started mildly shaking.

I said, "It's an earthquake," and the kids immediately got under the kitchen table, crouched down, and covered their heads. They didn't panic. They did exactly what they were supposed to do! I was so proud of them.

The shaking lasted about 30 seconds, then stopped, and the boys and I headed outside. I discovered later that the quake actually happened in Mexico, in the Baja California area, and it measured about 6.9 on the Richter scale.

Not as strong as the quakes in Haiti or Chile, but still significantly strong. I hope the people near the epicenter are okay!

Did anyone else feel it?

Edit: Seismologists have upgraded it to a 7.2 quake.

Stolen from  JournyeFox

[ ] public speaking
[ ] staying single forever
[x] Rejection
[x] being a parent (even though I already have 4 children!)
[ ] giving birth
[ ] being myself in front of others (NO fear here. hehe!)
[ ] open spaces
[ ] closed spaces
[x] heights (I get queasy when there's nothing underneath me)
[ ] dogs (Awww c'mon they're so lovable!)
[ ] fish
[ ] spiders
[ ] flowers or other plants
[x] that Scary guy
[ ] being touched
[ ] fire
[ ] deep water
[ ] snakes
[ ] silk
[ ] the ocean
[ ] failure
[ ] success
[ ] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[x] my boyfriends/girlfriends mom (Wife's mom)
[ ] rats
[x] jumping from high places
[ ] snow
[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] crossing hanging bridges (Doesn't bother me, even though I'm afraid of heights... go figure)
[ ] death
[ ] heaven
[x] being robbed
[x] falling
[ ] clowns
[ ] dolls
[x] large crowds of people (I'm okay with crowds until multiple folks are trying to talk to me all at once. Then I get stupid.)
[ ] men
[ ] women
[ ] having great responsibilities
[ ] doctors, including dentists
[x] tornadoes
[x] hurricanes
[x] tsunamis
[x] incurable diseases
[x] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] ghosts
[ ] poverty
[ ] Halloween
[ ] school
[ ] trains
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[ ] being alone
[x] becoming blind
[x] becoming deaf
[ ] growing up
[ ] creepy noises in the night
[ ] bee stings
[x] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[ ] needles
[ ] blood
[ ] dinosaurs
[ ] the welcome mat
[ ] high speed
[ ] throwing up
[ ] falling in love

My own addition:
[x] Extreme racism leading to holocaust/genocide (The photos of Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps give me horrible nightmares)

For all of you aspiring artists out there:

Jon Ponkivar, a.k.a.  Peterandcompany is one of my favorite comic artists in the furry fandom, and he has put together a great little community for artists called "The Inking Room". Artists of all skill levels are welcome, from beginners to experienced artists.

http://www.inkingroom.com

The most awesome thing about this community is the fact that it is so non-threatening. The community members give honest, relevant feedback and constructive criticism for the sole purpose of helping each other to improve their skills and talents.

I have been a member for more than a year now, and for me it's like sitting in a room among a group of great, respected artists, and I never have to be afraid that they'll think my work is amateur or 'beneath them.' I can hang out with and ask questions of serious art talent, and get honest, unbiased answers that help me to improve.

What aspiring artist wouldn't want that?

Seriously guys--go check it out.

Lotsa cool stuff happened today!

First, Xaqtly and I went to breakfast at Coco's with  KellanMeigh (from planet furry) and his family. Breakfast at Coco's is always good. :)

I tried to go to the live animal show, but apparently there was a conflict with the hotel, and the event was cancelled. You'd think a 4-star hotel wouldn't have a problem with a few wild felines walking loose in the building, right...?

So, even though that was pretty disappointing, I went to the dealer's den and picked up a commission from Jon Robey ("the Gneech"). I had given him my sketchbook and asked him to do something "clean and funny", and the rest was up to him. So he drew my dragon character sweeping the deck (i.e. clean!). Made me laugh!

I wanted to get a commission from  RaineDog, but apparently she was feeling ill this morning and wasn't at her dealer table. However, one of her friends was there, and he took the commission on her behalf, writing down what I wanted. Not three hours later, I returned to find her back at her dealer's table, feeling better, with my commission completed! She drew Millie (one of my favorite furry characters) riding on my shoulders, and being her usual snarky self.

I've never purchased commissions from artists before, and to see *MY* character drawn by Jon and Dana made me geek out for the rest of the afternoon!

GEEK GEEK GEEK GEEK GEEK YAY GEEK GEEK GEEK

I'm going to ask their permission to scan their pieces and attempt to color them.

This afternoon, I attended a class on basic fursuit head construction. I had an idea of how much work goes into making a head, but gosh, after this class I feel pretty intimidated. I still want to try to make my own suit, though!

This evening, I got a chance to break out my Saxophone and play in one of the hallways. Xaqtly came and played the piano along with me. We jammed for about an hour before my chops got sore and I had to stop playing. But it was a lot of fun, and my roommates took some photos/video.

I am now trying to stop myself from snacking on these Mike & Ike candies (mmmm soooo good) so I can actually get to sleep tonight. After all that's happened today, I'm afraid I might be on a geek-out sugar high for the rest of the night.

Whew... today went by in a whirlwind. I slept in until after 8:00 (UNHEARD of for me!), then Xaqtly, Desert_Wolf and I met up at the FurSuit lounge at 9:30 to officially get things started. The lounge is significantly bigger this year than last year, so this is a big improvement and will allow us to have more suiters in the lounge at a time. This is a good thing, because (if my guess is correct) there are quite a few more suiters here this year than last year.

Once I got a free moment, I went over to the dealer's den and spent way too much time getting lost among the hugely-talented artists there. I saw these:

-Susan Rankin (http://www.doemain.com)
-Jon "The Gneech" Robey (http://www.suburban-jungle.com)
-MamaLlamaDevil
-Dana Simpson (http://www.ozyandmillie.org)
-Eric Schwartz (http://www.sabrina-online.com)
-Lizard Beth (http://www.brokenplotdevice.com)
-Dingbat
-Blotch
-Kacey
-Tani DaReal

I bought the Complete Collection volume 1 of Ozy and Millie, and I gave my sketchbook to Jon Robey so he could do a commission for me. I gave him a reference sheet for my character, then told him to do whatever he wants, just keep it clean and funny (Considering pretty much everything I've seen from him fits that bill, I didn't think it was a difficult order).

I attempted to go to a workshop on Adobe Illustrator at 1:00, but there was nobody there. Then, when I went to the 'Costuming 101' discussion, I got a call from the Fursuit lounge lead, and had to leave the discussion (bummer). Apparently, one of the con event managers got the idea that we needed to have someone sitting in the lounge all the time (from 10:00 AM to midnight every day). Well, we spent the next couple of hours running around, talking to different folks, and we finally ended up talking to the con chair himself. He told us to go back to the way we were doing it before (i.e. patrolling the lounge every hour or so), because we simply didn't have the man power to staff it constantly.

Later in the evening, I went to a comedy event, where local stand-up comics were on stage, but (as I feared) it got pretty dirty at one point, so I left.

(sigh)

I did have a lot of fun playing games with my roommates today, though--we spent about 2.5 hours in the evening playing the New Super Mario Bros. Wii with four players. That game is hysterically fun when you get a big group together! Poor Desert Wolf (playing the yellow toad character) ended up dying more than 80 times before we had to break it up so I could go tend to the lounge again.

Xaqtly also introduced me to Ratchet and Clank, and I have decided that it is, in a word, FUN.

 Xaqtly and I arrived at the hotel around 1:00 PM yesterday, and spent the next couple of hours setting up. We now have a PS3, Wii, and XBox 360 set up, along with my gaming PC (which I'm using to post this right now). Soon, our other roommates arrived, bringing game discs for each of the consoles, and we now have several piles of games for anyone to play on the big screen.

Desert_Wolf and I posted the door portraits (I was pretty stoked to finally get those up!), but we soon realized that EraDragon had a friend that also need a place to stay. So, we now have  PopaBear staying with us as well, but sadly, I don't have a door portrait for him. Turns out, however, that he is a professional artist, and whipped up a portrait of his own today. NICE.

Today was fairly relaxed; got to hang out with my roommates, walk around the hotel and take pictures, and meet up with the Fursuit lounge team for orientation. Xaqtly, Desert_Wolf, and I are on the Fursuit lounge staff, much like last year, and it looks like running the lounge is going to be nicer this year.

I sat with PopaBear this morning and got some impromptu art instruction. He gave me some pointers on how to compose and visualize characters--some particularly helpful ideas about where to put lines and (more importantly) where NOT to put lines. I hope I can put his ideas to use in my future art.

I'm off to FurCon! I'll be driving up tomorrow (wednesday) and meeting up with my roommates in the evening.

I hope to see a lot of great furs there!

Carter Wilson was born at 3:30 AM on January 8th, 2010, after less than an hour of labor. Both mom and baby are perfectly healthy. 8 pounds, 9 ounces, 20 inches. Pictures to follow.

*swiped from  LizardBeth

Where are you staying?
I'll be staying in a suite at the main con hotel.

Who will you be with?
My roommates are  Xaqtly,  LaurenRivers,  Shrag,  EraDragon,  Silkpaws, and Desert_Wolf. I'll likely be hanging out with one or more of them, but I want to hang around with other friends too.

Do you do trades?
I am willing to do a few trades, yes--I've done trades in the past. I won't, however, have my computer/WACOM tablet with me there at the con, so if I do accept a trade, my half of the trade will be done after the con is over.

What suits will you have?
I don't have any suits, unfortunately, but I do have a 3-foot long green dragon tail with yellow spines. You might also see me in the hotel lobby playing my alto saxophone.

What is your gender?
Male

How old are you?
36

Can I touch you?
I'm good with hugs, handshakes, nose beeps, and the like. I don't, however, like groping.

Can I talk to you?
Absolutely! Though I am somewhat shy with folks I don't know, I think you'll find that I really open up once I get to know people.

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
I don't drink booze. At all. I do, however, love a good root beer!

Can I give you lots of money?
Only if it is justified! I may do commissions... maybe. But again, as above, I won't have my tools with me, so any commissions will have to be done and delivered after the con.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs are fine, but cuddling/snuggling is reserved for my wife and children. :)

How tall are you?
5' 11"

You look pissed off out of suit can I come up to you?
On the contrary, I think you'll find that I'm a fairly easy-going fur. I like meeting new furs and having fun, but the one thing that rubs me the wrong way is when multiple people are all trying to talk to me at once.

Are you nice?
I'd like to think so, yes.

Are you cliquey?
Cliques are evil. I was the nerd outcast when I was a child, and I know what it's like to be ostracized from a clique. I never want to inflict that kind of pain on anyone else.

Can I stalk you?
Please don't.

How long are you going?
I'll be there on Wednesday night, and leaving Monday afternoon.

Do you have an artist table?
No, though I do plan to frequent the dealer's den to meet/greet my favorite artists/comic artists.

Do you like parties?
Sure thing, as long as nobody offers me any alcohol. :)

If i see you, how should i get your attention?
"Yo Teric!"

Saw something fun at  Ellen-Natalie Ellen-Natalie's account.

She posted a journal where the first 10 furs to respond would be featured on her journal, listing her top 3 favorite pieces from that person.

I don't like to tag anyone, so I won't require anyone to respond to this. But I did want to return the favor to Ellen and post three of her pieces here.

Ellen is a delightful comic artist, who runs an online comic called 'Furry Experience'. I have really enjoyed following her comic, and I visit every day. For those of you who enjoy furry comics, I recommend you go take a look:

http://furryexperience.smackjeeves.com/

1. http://www.furaffinity.net/full/2891513/ -- I love this one. The pose in the 2nd pane is really well done, and I love how Ellen uses Ronnie's ears for hair. Very clever.
2. http://www.furaffinity.net/full/3009369/ -- Cat is just plain cute! She's my favorite character in this comic strip. She has an innocence and joy for life that always makes me smile.
3. http://www.furaffinity.net/full/2899779/ -- Ellen uses a shading method that I find interesting. Her line weight varies widely, and she uses it pretty thick in deeply shaded areas, so her lines themselves actually do most of the shading in her drawings.