Something Interactive

If anyone knows me half-well, they have already witnessed a common event that I like to call “Mike time”.
My best friend Aaron refers to this phenomenon as the unavoidable likelyhood of seeing me arrive late for some particular event or meeting.

Apparently it is impossible for me to be on time, and the laws of the universe won’t let me early!

Well, when I planned this trip I had a vendetta out, to become godly - defying physics, and actually be on time for my flight at the Buffalo airport.

To make a long story short, I failed miserably.

I left EXTREMELY early, to avoid any realistic amount of traffic, border crossing, etc. Etc … ETC.

To my demise there were three major forces against me, traffic, more traffic with a bad accident & lineups at the border.

Arriving just short if 20 minutes after the plane left really had me peaved. Nonetheless, through the kindness of my fellow man, I was able to catch the following flight at no extra charge.

I really do beleive there are angels now.

All that being said, i can honestly say that it wasn’t my fault. I really planned ahead, it’s just my luck in life to run a little more on the dramatic side.

I often remember a short phrase that my father would say to me:

“Michael, you will be late for my funeral!”

To this I reply:

“Then I’m right on time for an extra bit of life!”

Leaving in two days for London England has got me very excited. Not only for the trip itself but also for the fact that I picked up a new iPhone 3G to help me along the way.

Like many, I have wanted to buy one of these beauties for quite some time. But I wasn’t able to because of two reasons.
The first was because of the little problem that began when Rogers launched the iphone in Canada; that being their inventory allotment from Apple. This in turn caused a halt on all purchases of the iPhone from any employee (that’s me!) trying to acquire the device until further notice. (something about Rogers’ commitment to putting the real customers first)
The second problem was due to the everpresent financing required to purchase the iPhone.

Well today was a great day for me as I realized that my resignation from being an employee of Rogers came with a dual benefit. Working seven years at The Shopping Channel didn’t go unnoticed. I did my job very well, and out of appreciation, I received a personal gift from the staff towards purchasing an iPhone.

Then, as I negotiated relentlessly with a sales rep at a Rogers Video store, I came to find that employees are gradually being allowed to purchase the devices!

Now, as I lie here in bed, all synced up with Wordpress’s iPhone app free from the Apple iTunes App Store, I post my
first post of many, detailing my trip to the UK and my team’s progress through the IGLFA World Cup of Soccer.

Stay tuned!!

At the end of December 2007, I read somewhere that the year of 2008 would be “the year of change”.

While I don’t necessarily subscribe to the thought that we are completely stagnant some years and others not, I do however think that the amount of change from year to year would tend to have its ebbs and flows overall.

That being said, a large portion of this year has been spent making pivotal decisions to change my career, from working at The Shopping Channel to going back to school so that I can pursue my dream of teaching the discipline of Design, and doing so with positive social change.

Today, after almost 7 years with the company, I sent in my official resignation to The Shopping Channel.

This was no easy decision, and I have spent a lot of energy towards furthering my career.
Through applying and collecting information, filling out forms and attending workshops, negotiating and putting my feelers out, I’ve set myself up to attend studies this fall at the acclaimed up-and-coming Ontario College of Art & Design in the downtown of Toronto, Canada.
I also had to think about my income and my future, and the lifestyle that I would leaving behind and what lifestyle I could carry onward.

One constant thing that has gotten me through it all is knowing: if I want it really bad, I will make it all work out. I will jump the hoops. I will make the sacrifices. And, in the end I will reap the benefits.

I wanted to thank everyone that I worked with at The Shopping Channel.

These people are dedicated and hard-working. I know this because we all worked in one of the hardest lines of business to work in: RAPID-RETAIL. It’s not easy trying to satisfy one of the world’s most unique market of customers without having real-time in-person physical interaction.

I know that I will miss working alongside many of my co-workers, however, I know I will see them again down the road sooner or later in our travels.

I wish everyone the best, and hope that they are finding too, that this year is the year of change.