New Job

Yeah, I didn't see it coming at all. In fact today started out like any other ordinary day with me waking up at the crack of dawn heavily considering calling in sick just so i can sleep in. I was so tired this morning that i canceled any overtime shifts i had scheduled for myself this week. At least i was working for the day - and i'm so glad i was. Where do i start ...

After 3:30 break, Alex was saying how HR was harassing him about transferring him to EAX but he didn't want to go because it was inconvenient for him. I wondered why they wanted to move him when he filled out our 6 person online team, otherwise we'd have to go find someone else to replace him. And he was adamant about not going so I offered to take his place at EAX on the repro team - that way i'd be working alongside the developers and me and jeff could go on smoke breaks together, lol.

From out of nowhere, I got an email from Matt York with the subject "Please come and see me". The email was blank, and I'm thinking shit, I'm in trouble. So I reluctantly walk over to his office and ask him whats up. At this point my mind is racing wondering what it was he had to tell me, was in trouble, what did I do ... So the first thing he said was

"It's looks like we're going to have to let you go on Monday." Swore i felt my heart break, but all I managed to do was nod and let him continue talking. And then he adds something about me getting the artworks job I applied for last week, the job that Stacey forwarded my name to. He briefly explained what the job was about - quality control stuff in the artworks department, how i'd be embedded with the developers. And the whole time, i couldn't stop smiling. My body was shaking and all I could say was thank you. He said how I mentioned to HR that i wanted this and this was my chance and not to fuck it up. And I'm said "no, i will do everything in my power not to fuck this one up!" I'm not sure if he knows how much this opportunity means to me.

I don't remember much after that. i was still shaking, mind was racing, remember Trish hugging me, hahaha, and Duane asking "Oh, so you are an artist?" So i go back to the team and tell them the news - first i told Alex i wouldn't be able to take his spot at EAX anymore and he says it doesn't matter to him because he was not coming into work tomorrow. Stacey had threatened to fire him. Then I explained what had happened to me which was a little awkward after hearing what Stacey had told him. So our cozy online team had been brought down from 6 to 4 in 5 minutes.

Then I got an email from Stacey to come to the office but by this point i pretty much knew what to expect. So both HR ladies congratulated me - even clapped, which had me blushing pretty bad - and I profusely thanked them both for what they did for me. So they dismissed me and i headed back to my desk, only to have Yavar come up some minutes later and fill me in on the details of this new job.

He explained that it was going to be a 3 week contract with VMC, with the possibility of being kept on for longer. But that would be up for my performance, and EA to decide, based on their needs. Freakin told everyone on MSN, Cody and gurn seemed pretty supportive ... so we'll see what happens next. I guess theh rest is up to me huh ...

RPD

i wasn't sure if i could ever look at another picture of the Raccoon City police department's main hall. It was probably 2 years ago around this time that i started working on one of my earliest 3D projects. I've gone back before to try and clean up the scene but cleaning it up was taking way longer than I expected, and it'd be faster to just start over a new one. I wanted to start over but decided that i'd had enough of looking at the reference pictures and just leave it be.

And now, two years later, I decided that i want to get back to it again. I've just started working on a new RPD today, which could also stand as a testament to my environment modeling abilities despite the fact i've stuck the character label on myself. And surprisingly, in four short hours, I've gotten the main shapes of hte station down pat. I jsut need to add the finer details like doors, props and railings (which I estimate are going to take awhile.) I love the fact that now i have a laptop, i can take my work around with me wherever I go. I can finally get started on all those projects I always wanted to work on but couldn't because i wasn't at home on my computer.

There's Shaniqua who still needs to be made as well, and i need to finish off the bust of Cranky's head - I'm not sure how much farter I want to take that piece actually, it might be better to just start over but i haven't decided yet.

New Laptop

Yeah, first post on my new laptop. Just bought it yesterday and I'm trying to get used to the controls. The keys are a little more flat and closer together than what I'm used to but as I'm writing this, I'm starting to get a good feel of just how to work this thing. Also there's no mouse yet but i plan on getting that fixed tomorrow when i go buy some accessories for this thing.

There's not much to update on the work front. managed to land another meeting with a lead artist but this time it's going to be focused on environment art. so hopefully if EA is looking for any prop artists, they will be looking to hire me. Or at the very least, consider me.

skate.2 is really eating up alot of time. working overtime 3-4 times a week (except this last week because of the whole laptop fiasco, cause the bank wouldn't let me purchase it because of my debit limit so i had to go back the next day, thus missing a second day of OT, and pick it up). Thursday night - the night i got the laptop, they decided to reward us at work with free beer and pizza with all the progress we've made in knocking out the QA issues with the game.

And then i had one more beer tonight when i went out for dinner with matt and nicole. the last time i saw them was just after i got hired at this job - sometime in april i think. we went to gleneagle after and watched 2 of dixons metfest plays, and i gotta say, it was definitely nice seeing dixon again even though i was apprehensive at first, because its been so long since i stepped foot onto the grounds of my old highschool.