More Big News!

I have accepted the job at Midway, so I will be working on the next Mortal Kombat game! I want to see game suggestions below from those who play it. : )

Whoa, whoa.

So fellas, I have some news that might top Caleb's...






Believe it or not, but I'm... I'm... engaged.

Ask Bruce. It's all true. Every little bit. :)

(Details to come. Feel free to send me a nasty email if I don't post soon.)


-joel

Job Update

I turned down BBN Technologies ("I really want to work on games" being the main reason). I've got a job offer from Rainbow Studios in Phoenix AZ to work on the nextGen console version of MX vs ATV Unleashed (offroad racing game with bikes and other vehicles).
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/driving/mxvsatvunleashed/index.html?q=mx+atv

Midway in Chicago says they are going to make me an offer to work on Mortal Kombat (I don't know what gen it would be for).
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/mortalkombatdeception/index.html?q=mortal+kombat

Let's get a vote: MX or MK?

love's status

so I'm getting more excited about C3 (the star wars convention), not so much b/c I think Ep3 will be great but I'm hoping I can witness some fun arguments (& cause a few myself)

Job Wise: The interview at the ABC station in Rockford went well & they made an offer. A full step up in equipment, a full step up in organization, 3/4 step up in stories, 1/4 step up in pay. It felt like it was 90% the same as my current job, plus a big hassel of having to move right away, so I turned it down.

I am about 3 weeks away from reciving 2 weeks of vacation & a raise (which I just found out is more than I was expecting). The main thing that I gained from the interview is that I've learned a lot more than I thought over the past year & have the skills to apply to much bigger places.

Still having car troubles & now need to find a good car that is cheap to buy & even cheaper to keep running. any recomendations?

thats all for now

Internship Updates

I am officially four weeks and a gigantic paper away from completing my last graduation requirement. On Wednesday I survived a trip by Hadley, my practicum supervisor. It seems he thought things were going well for me (which they are), and he gave me a lot of pointers to make the most of my practicum (which I will use). After I helped electronicize the organization's financial statements, I am going to make visits to some of the offices to observe their systems and suggest ways to make them run more efficiently.
Am I already smelling graduation? Considering Taylor has given me things for graduation and its dinner, you bet I am! It only took five years! I am in the process of polishing my resumes and sending them out, so I hope finding a job is easier than finding an internship.
I notice all the Illini faithful here. I'm looking forward to the Final Four tonight. I hope it doesn't end up like last year's baseball playoffs, where there were two exciting league finals and a dud of a World Series. It still should be exciting though. I, of course, am backing the Big Ten and rooting against UNC.

Back for more.

Greetings one and all.

Believe it or not, but I have returned. I've thought about the blog a few times over the weeks, but there have been so many wild things going on, that it's been tough to check it out.

In the short version, here's an update:

1. I bought a little house in Shelbyville and closed on it Wednesday. It's pretty aged, built in the 20's or 30's, but it's a cool place. There are two bedrooms (all freshly painted), a sun room, a nice little yard for the puppy, a lot of new appliances, and all that. Best of all, though, is that I got a great price! I need to fix up a few parts of the house-- the basement stairs, some lighting, and a few doors, but other than that, it's in great shape. You're all invited down to Shelby sometime to visit. It would be cool to see you all again.

2. I've officially determined Ginny's ring size... by asking her. She knows something is coming, but I'm still looking for the perfect ring and finalizing my plans on how to ask her. It might be as early as April 13 or 14, but might be as late as July 5 or 6. My tentative plan right now is to ask early, but we'll see how the ring shopping goes. Which raises a good question: how high is too high for a ring? The best one I've found is $25-30, but I've found an okay one for $8. What do you all think? I don't want to be stupid, but neither do I want to be cheap.

3. If any guy wants to help with the proposal, I'm up for ideas. Maybe a few of you would be up for travelling to Shelbyville or Chicago to pull off something snazzy. Feel free to offer your ideas.

4. Our church has officially launched here in Shelbyville. Easter was an exciting time, when we first introduced the church to the public, and now we're on our way forward. Church work is interesting-- always challenging and never ending-- so if you get the chance, remember us in prayer.

I'll try to check back more often. Feel free to send some emails my way, too.

joel