My New Year's wishes for all my loved ones are more or less the same wishes I have for myself: a life well-lived, full of love, bliss, grace, compassion, success and peace of mind.

2008 is going to be our best year yet. I can just feel it. My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you faithful readers for helping me through 2007 and making it memorable and mostly positive. May we each continue on our individual paths of personal growth and fulfillment in 2008, with new breakthroughs and ever more profound epiphanies.

I send my love to you and to those who only read rarely or not at all. We create our own destinies, and 2008 will surely be a year of fulfillment of those amazing, terrific, empowered destinies.

Please use the comments to set your intention for the year and share it with others so that we may all be inspired by it. My biggest intention for 2008 is to manifest the resources and the courage to create the life for myself that I want to lead, which may or may not take me to NYC permanently.

Your turns.

Labels: celebration, growth, hope, moving, new year, New York, opening to grace, personal, strength, success, transformation, wisdom

Link to full album here.

I figured I'd do the slideshow here rather than individual pictures. I'll be adding captions to some of them. I'll also probably weed out some of the not so great pictures. Anyway, without further ado, Goodbye 20's, Hello NYC!

Labels: birthday, New York, personal, photos

OK, so I'm no General MacArthur, and this isn't southeast Asia, but the sentiment is the same.

I'm in the terminal at JFK, using one of jetBlue's FREE wifi hotspots (no wonder the legacy carriers are dying the slow, painful deaths they so richly deserve).

This has been the best trip I've ever taken - and the best birthday present anyone could have given me. Truly terrific. I can't wait to plan my next one here - or my move here. Hopefully that'll go better than my intended move to a new apartment in Tucson...

I'll upload my pictures when I get back to Tucson, but I did capture some great memories. Last night I saw my cousin Dave perform at Caroline's, met a guy I'd only ever chatted with forever who moved to New York about two years ago, then ended at a bar in Brooklyn where I saw a very dear friend from college who I haven't seen in almost six years.

And though I love it here, I'm also surprisingly OK with going back to Tucson. I guess it pays to have a cat that I miss!

Now I'm going to grab a quick bite before they start boarding.

Fear not, New York, I shall return!

Labels: birthday, friendship, moving, New York, personal

It feels good. It suits me. Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Labels: birthday, personal

So November was great. I was a little apprehensive about Nathan Lane in a straight (no pun intended) play, but his performance was remarkable. The whole small cast, really. And the lighting design was by a well-known (for that kind of thing) Ithaca College alumnus.

After the matinee, I came back to my hotel room briefly. I had a few hours to kill, so I decided to make the most of my City Pass and haul ass over to the MOMA. I love that place!

The icing on the cake though was when I walked out of one of the galleries and was admiring an interesting piece of art (a black-framed mirror with a light floating in the middle of it), when I noticed a vaguely familiar face. Not wanting to stare, I realized who it was after a couple of furtive glances.

It was John Cameron Mitchell.

Ohmygodohmygodohmyfuckinggod!

This man is a creative genius and he was right there next to me. I had my camera out because I was snapping photos of the art I particularly liked, and I didn't have the nerve to ask for a picture with him. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Ack indeed!

Ah well. I'm waiting for my uncle to get here so we can make our 7:15 reservations. Tomorrow: possibly the Today Show, that 11:00 AM massage, the Natural History Museum, and then Caroline's (I think).

What a fabulous whirlwind!

Labels: birthday, New York, personal, theatre

I'm having a great time in New York. I got to spend time with my friend Damon, who I lived with my senior year at Ithaca and who I haven't seen in a few years. I've been spending a lot of quality time with Miriam, which is wonderful. (I forgot to add that we went to see Hannah and Her Sisters last night at the Film Forum...there really is nothing like seeing a Woody Allen film on a big screen in NYC) Tonight I'll have dinner with my uncle and then see my friend Marla.

So far I've been to the Met and the Guggenheim and we went to see Spring Awakening on Friday night. I'm about to head down to the TKTS booth to buy a matinee ticket to David Mamet's new play, November, starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.

Tomorrow (my birthday!), I may just try to get to the Today Show (Dad really wants me to). Then I have a deep tissue massage scheduled, thanks to my sister (thanks Deb!). I'm going to try and get down to the MoMa tomorrow too. Then tomorrow night, my cousin David is performing his stand-up act at Caroline's.

I said I was going to make the most of this trip, and damnit, I am! When I get back, I'll try to start doing a better job of saving, because I've been reminded of just what I'm missing in Tucson!

Labels: birthday, Debra, Miriam, musicals, New York, personal, the arts, theatre

I've arrived, in one piece. Miriam met me at the airport. Actually, she was a little late because the train was only running local, and then she got a little lost once she got to JFK, but what a trooper for venturing out so early in the morning! I'm blogging from her bed right now, while she's at work. I'm heading into Manhattan in a few to dick around there until she gets done with work, then it's off to dinner and who knows what.

Needless to say, I've been swamped getting ready for this trip and making sure life was in order enough that I wouldn't return to chaos next week. I've been derelict in my blogging duties, I know. I completely missed blogging both my homoversary and my yogaversary. So happy both of those to me!

I brought my camera and will hopefully have pictures to post, if not while I'm here, then definitely when I get back to Tucson.

And I am still taking souvenir requests.

Labels: birthday, homoversary, Miriam, New York, personal, yoga

If you're in Tucson, you simply must go see Arizona Theatre Company's new production of a classic of the American musical theatre: The Pajama Game.

Originally opened in 1954, the story about a labor dispute (this one at the Sleep Tite pajama factory in Iowa) still resonates today as images of striking workers still permeate the news.

The original production marked Bob Fosse's Broadway debut and launched a legendary choreography and directorial career. The 1957 movie adaptation (which I just ordered on DVD from Amazon) featured Doris Day and John Raitt (Bonnie's dad, a legend of the stage). Day replaced Janis Paige, who starred opposite Raitt in the original Broadway production.

There was a limited engagement revival on Broadway (actually Lincoln Center, I believe) last year, starring Harry Connick, Jr. It won the Tony for best revival of a musical.

The show is personally significant. As a confused, lonely freshman at Ithaca College, I enrolled my first semester in a 1-credit course called "Theatre Practice", which I thought would involve a lot of improv. Boy was I wrong. Theatre Practice is actually the Theatre Department's way of filling production crews for the mainstage productions, and I was assigned to the carpentry crew.

Mind you, I'd never held a power tool before in my life and was scared of hammers (heck, I was scared of my own shadow back then). But somehow being a part of that crew (and getting to serve as an extra in full costume during the run) helped bring me out of my shell, build self-confidence and self-esteem, and led me to realize that I wanted to change my major from film to theatre.

So you may not have the same emotional connection to this show that I do, but I promise you'll enjoy it just the same.

Labels: musicals, personal

These guys said so.

Labels: anti-violence, awards, personal

...and replaced by Ikea.

Fortunately, the closest store is in Tempe, which is about an hour and a half drive from here.

I've been on a home organization kick. Well, I've been on an I-should-get-organized-and-live-a-more-grownup-life kick. So I was looking on the Ikea website on Friday night for some quality inexpensive modern Scandinavian furniture, which is the style (and price!) I like. I found a couple of pieces but didn't do anything with that information.

The next morning, I received a text message from Jason inviting me to join him on a trip to the Ikea store that day. Creepy coincidence or kismet?

For a variety of reasons, I decided to forgo my three-hour Saturday yoga practice in favor of joining Jason on a jaunt to what I now call the Promised Land.

That place is magic!

I ended up only buying a lamp and some storage boxes because the flat-packed furniture I was eying wouldn't fit in Jason's Prius. I figured I'd just order it online and have it shipped, but that almost doubles the price!

Fortunately for me, I have a friend with a minivan who offered to take a road trip with me. Thanks Hillz!

Inspired by all this chic furniture, I finally cleaned out my walk-in closet last night, which was long overdue for a solid cleaning/reorganizing.

Now I have an old dresser with two of five drawers broken that I was tempted to "repurpose" into a secretary desk. Upon further consideration, and remembering that I'm not really very good at that kind of thing, I may just trash it when Ikea has much better furniture at affordable prices.

So thanks to Jason for popping my Ikea cherry.

And fear not, Target may no longer be #1, but it's still near and dear to my heart: Hillary and I spent a good two hours there yesterday!

Labels: Hillary, Ikea, Jason, not really newsworthy, personal, Target

I feel selfish posting this, but here's a wishlist of what you can get me to help me further enjoy my birthday trip to NYC:

1. The Big Apple Helicopter Flight
2. New York, New York Helicopter Flight
3. The New York Pass
4. New York CityPass
5. NYC Soul Food and Jazz in Harlem
6. Monty Python's Spamalot On Broadway
7. Legally Blonde On Broadway
8. A Chorus Line On Broadway
9. Curtains On Broadway
10. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee On Broadway
11. Spring Awakening On Broadway
12. New York Dinner in Style with Broadway Show - Private Tour
13. Xanadu On Broadway
14. Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Lyndhurst
15. New York MealTicket™

Labels: New York, personal

Spectacular Room

Be seduced by the view exclusive to floors 31 to 57. Feeling like a mini ruler of the big apple, take in the sensuous details, like the luminous amber colored tables and provocative lighting. Toast your realm with cocktails from the minibar. Establish a soft back beat with a CD from the library. Link in with High-Speed Internet Access, put your feet up on the floating glass desk, and phone home with the dual line phone (one is cordless). Then delight in the sexy touches, like the sleek plasma TV, glass-enclosed voyeur shower and floating sinks. Invigorate with the legendary Bliss lemon + sage Sinkside Six. Then sink into the comfort of soft terry robes and the W signature king or two double beds, wrapped in silky 350-thread count linens, our custom pillow-top mattress, featherbed, down-filled duvet and goose down pillows.

I'll be staying there for four nights.

Labels: birthday, New York, personal

Taking yoga asana self-portraits is no easy task. It took me many many tries to get these two gems:





Anybody interested in being my yoga photographer? Seriously, I'd like to get better shots of these two poses, plus me in some additional asanas.

I found the entire photography process really helpful in checking my alignment in both poses and discovering where I need to do more work. This could be very beneficial to my yoga practice.

That, and the pictures of me in full form just look really cool.

(UPDATED 10-18-07 00:53 to replace slideshow with thumbnails of both photos)

Labels: personal, photos, yoga

My resume was due for an update, and I've done it. Use the link at right to view it. Bowing to Hillary's and apparently Miriam's concerns, I took out my home address from the online version.

Labels: career, jobs, personal

It's official, I bought my JetBlue tickets this morning. I'll be in New York December 20-25 (leaving on a redeye at 11:59 PM on December 19). I'll take souvenir requests, but I'm not making any promises.

Thanks to Hillz for watching over the furball while I'm gone, till she heads back east herself. And thanks to Miriam for putting me up part of the time I'm there. The rest of my nights will be spent in a Fabulous Room (that's really what it's called, I swear!) at the glam W Hotel Times Square.

Labels: birthday, Hillary, Miriam, New York, personal

Excuse me, 'debt with disabilities'.

Since getting laid off at the end of July, I've been avoiding looking seriously at my financial picture because I was afraid of what I might see.

You see, thanks to my severance package and a lucrative consulting practice, my bank account has actually been healthier than it's ever been. And I like having that extra cushion. So I have been a little slow in paying some bills. That's not really new, but the beefed-up bank account has been helping me psychologically through an uncertain period of quasi-employment.

But the persistent and obnoxious calls from my creditors was starting to be too much to handle - there are only so many times a day I want to be interrupted in what I'm doing so I can hit the ignore button on my cell phone.

So I sat down tonight to look at my finances through the end of this calendar year. Turns out, I'll continue to be fine. I can afford to take that birthday trip, and I could also, as it turns out, afford to pay off one of my credit cards entirely. Combined with paying off my computer last month, I'm now back down to one credit card with a balance on it, and I may even be able to pay that one all the way off by the end of the year too.

Financial insecurity, which plagued me most of the time I've lived in Tucson, when I made far less than I was worth at a job I stayed at far longer than I should have, is now a thing of the past, at least for now. And I attribute this newfound freedom at least in part to my yoga practice, which has taught me the fine art of letting go and flowing with grace.

I should write a book.

(I am, actually, writing a book proposal, but that'll be on communications strategies for smaller non-profits)

Labels: finances, New York, personal, success, yoga

So every year around the Wingspan Dinner, I have some bad car karma.

Last year, the day before the Dinner, I was rear-ended on Broadway as I was running last minute errands.

Three years ago, I had Kent Burbank handing me fistfuls of cash to take a cab from the TCC to the Jack Furrier's after I had to take my car in for emergency new tires when I found the morning of the dinner that I could see the wire inside my tires.

So it was no big shock to me this year when I got home last night to find I had a flat tire.

Kia Roadside Assistance is on the way and the dealer can fit me in this morning, but at least Miriam will be relieved to know that it's not her specifically.

Labels: Kia, personal, Wingspan

I don't really have enough on any single topic to justify posting, so here are a few droppings on an assortment of things. Now with linky-goodness in almost every bite!

I'm edging closer to making reservations for my birthday trip to NYC, I just want to make sure I can afford it. You only turn thirty once, right? Unless you're my mother, in which case you just keep turning 29 year after year.

Speaking of Phyllis: her latest quip that made me uneasy, from a couple of weeks ago. When they were back east, they decided that instead of getting buried in caskets when they die, they will be cremated (to save us kids the money and trouble, of course). As mom put it, they're going to get "crispy-fried". She kept repeating "crispy-fried crispy-fried crispy-fried" with almost a southern twinge, like she was trying to channel the Colonel.

It will be public knowledge soon enough, so I think it's safe to leak it on the ole blog first: I've been named Outstanding Advocate of the Year by the Men's Anti-Violence Partnership of Southern Arizona. I'll receive my award along with five other honorees at the MAP Gala on November 18 at the Westin La Paloma. I'm deeply honored to be among such an amazing group.

Yes, Wingspan's Executive Director resigned after less than a month on the job. No, it's not the end of the world. Wingspan was around before Kent Burbank and Joseph Bodenmiller, and it will be around after them. The strength of the organization lies not in its figurehead, but in the community that has built and sustained it over the last 20 years. The sky is not falling. This too will pass. Chill.

Speaking of Wingspan, the Annual Benefit Dinner is September 29. Have you bought your ticket yet? I hear they've sold out.

I really love being a consultant. No, really. If I can figure out how to do this and continue making a good living, I'm totally doing it. Health insurance be damned!

Patreus or Betray Us? The Republicans are just grumpy because MoveOn came up with a pithy rhyme and Republicans hate whimsy as much as Germans love David Hasselhoff.

I bought my Avenue Q ticket! Yay! And I bought it as part of the LGBT&S Alliance Fund benefit, so it's going to a good cause. The internet is really really great...

I have a new favorite TV show. Mad Men on AMC. I love anything mid-century Americana, but this has an edge of realism that I particularly admire. Television Without Pity has it on their recap roster.

I also recommend Moliere, which is playing at the Loft. In case you don't know, Moliere is often referred to as the French Shakespeare. Which I'm sure the French love.

And finally, my yoga practice was thrown off by being out of town last weekend and by meetings in the evenings throughout this week. In the last 7 days, I only made it to yoga class twice. Saturday's 3-hour yoga practice has been canceled due to a major event at the studio. I hope not all of the classes are canceled, or I may be one very grumpy yogi when Monday rolls back around.

Labels: birthday, career, jobs, MAP, mom, musicals, New York, personal, Republicans, television, theatre, Wingspan, yoga

So when I was laid off a little more than a month ago, I talked openly about wanting to take a vacation, but that vacation was contingent on where I was financially once my severance package had run its course and whether or not I had found new gainful employment by then.

As luck would have it, my severance has run its course AND I have a job that, while not permanent, is certainly gainful. This has left me in a fairly comfortable financial position for the time being, which was my hope.

My original plan, if the stars were to align as they have, was to take my vacation sometime in September. But between my CPL fellowship starting this weekend, the new interim position and the Wingspan Dinner on September 29, an autumn vacation just doesn't seem quite possible, at least not so early in the season.

Then it occurred to me tonight that my favorite time of year to travel cross-country is around my birthday. This birthday in particular will be especially noteworthy.

I turn 30 on December 24^th.

I think I should take my vacation to New York to celebrate the start of my third decade. I may not get to spend my actual birthday back east (depending on airfare), but I could definitely make a go of it pretty close to the actual day.

I'm not holding my breath on the surprise party I've always wanted (especially now that Miriam, the only person to ever try, has moved away), so I might as well celebrate myself in a big way.

I've had what can fairly be called a challenging year, but thanks to a solid yoga practice, a supportive community and the love of family and friends alike, I'm coming through it in pretty damn good shape. I deserve to celebrate myself in a big way!

It's so perfect, so obvious, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

Labels: personal

That's the headline of today's Yoga Journal Newsletter Daily Insight that I get delivered to my e-mail inbox every morning.

It's a mantra that I've taken to heart.

The e-mail includes this pearl of wisdom:

"A dry spell can be connected with stress at work, emotional issues, or relationship difficulties—wherever your energy is tied up. My best advice: Don't get caught in negative self-talk."

Recognizing my own negative self-talk and stopping it in its tracks is the very thing that has sustained me through what could be a very difficult time. Can you imagine where I'd be or what I'd be doing if I hadn't taken up yoga?

Yes, I realize that "get over it" is not good advice in all situations. My point is that not everything bad that happens means the world has to come crashing down. Your joy is your sorrow unmasked, remember?

Instead, I trusted that the universe would provide, and it has. I started this week in an interim Development Director position for a local DV agency. The pay is excellent, the time is flexible and it's a great resume builder.

And now I have the freedom to explore and pursue any career opportunities that come along.

And I get to continue my yoga practice.

Labels: career, jobs, personal, yoga

The Women's Commission has hired a new Executive Director. And it's not me. I don't recognize the name of the woman they hired, either.

I'm going to just focus on my new interim job for the time being and continue to keep my feelers out there. I'm also going to remain a Commissioner. It would be pretty petty of me to resign at this point, right?

Please continue keeping those eyes and ears open about other opportunities in Tucson. This just means that the Commission wasn't the right one for me

This news will actually please one of my references and mentors greatly. She didn't want me to take this position if offered because she doesn't believe "mom and pop operations" like the Commission are going to survive.

I disagree, but now I don't have to worry about that twinge of doubt!

All things considered, there's worse news I could have received this morning. I'll find my next big thing soon enough!

Labels: jobs, personal

The Grease sing-along at the Loft last night was a lot of fun. I don't actually sing along at these things because I don't sing in groups; I will only perform if I'm in the spotlight. My friends Emily and Maggie and I got our picture taken with Annette Charles, the actress/dancer who played Cha Cha DiGregorio in the movie. She still looks fab 29 years later!

Labels: musicals, personal

We're still working out some of the minor details, but it looks like I will start next week as the interim Development Director at The Brewster Center, one of Tucson's two largest domestic violence organizations. My hourly rate will be roughly the same as that which I made at Planned Parenthood. I'll be working up to 35 hours a week, and I can do as much of that as I need to do from home.

I'm telling you, getting laid off has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time!

I'm a little cautious about going to work for another anti-violence organization (did I ever really leave the field?!), knowing the strain that vicarious trauma can have. That said, I'll be in a mostly administrative role with no direct service and I have my yoga practice to keep me centered and stress-free.

And don't forget, Grease sing-along tomorrow night at The Loft!

All things considered, this weekend is getting off to a pretty good start.

Labels: career, jobs, musicals, personal, yoga

My former assistant sent this to me. It's the most perfect musical number ever!


In other Jew news, I didn't get the JCC job, but I'm pretty OK with it. I have a meeting in the morning to discuss one of several new and very sudden opportunities at The Brewster Center with their interim ED. When one door closes, another door leads to singing puppet Jews. Or something like that.

Labels: career, INAPPROPRIATE, jobs, musicals, personal

I still don't know what to make of this conversation.

I was on the phone with my mom a little while ago. She was asking me how my interview went yesterday (not so great, I think). I appreciate her concern, but it doesn't stop with concern with her.

She's in full-on, up-all-night-agonizing mode. No matter how many times I tell her I'm fine both emotionally and financially, she tells me she's still worried.

After I reassured her for the 32nd time during our phone conversation, she finally said, "OK, unless you have a sugar daddy we don't know about."

I was taken a little by surprise and immediately responded, "I most certainly do not have a sugar daddy."

"Well if you did, we wouldn't have to worry about your bills being paid."

Wait, did my mother just suggest I ought to find me a sugar daddy?

Not knowing what else to say, I repeated the protest I made a moment earlier. My mother again repeated her insane troll logic.

When I told her I didn't want a sugar daddy, she continued to press me. Finally I said, "you clearly haven't seen the sugar daddies in Tucson." She laughed, I laughed awkwardly, and we moved on after she once again reminded me about my bills.

I think she may have actually been a little serious. I have no issues with the concept, but I'm too shallow to ever put it into practice with the crop of creepy old men that are found in Tucson.

Anyway, it's back to monster.com for me tonight.

Labels: INAPPROPRIATE, jobs, personal

Three cheers to Hillary for joining me for yoga tonight. Let's do it again sometime!

In other news, my former roommates Jason and Brandon just bought a shiny new Prius hybrid. I got a ride in it today and I totally want one! Congrats to the boys on the new car.

Labels: friendship, not really newsworthy, personal, yoga

I have a final (I think) interview scheduled with the Tucson JCC on Thursday late afternoon.

I'm told my references said glowing things about me (I've thanked them already) and that the JCC's major concern about me right now is whether or not I'd be happy in an apolitical, non-advocacy job.

I think it would be a nice break, and I can still engage in plenty of advocacy, politicking and campaigning in my volunteer and community service work.

So it looks like my job search is moving along nicely (I haven't heard anything further from the Women's Commission, so I'm thinking I may be out of the running, which is definitely their loss).

I kept telling you all that I'm not concerned and it looks like I was right. To paraphrase Joseph Campbell, the universe opens doors where there once were walls.

Labels: career, jobs, personal

I met with three more people from the JCC today in the latest phase of their hiring process. I think it went well. I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Labels: career, jobs, personal

I just received notice that I've been accepted into this year's Center for Progressive Leadership Arizona Political Leaders Fellowship.

More than 200 individuals were nominated for the fellowship from all over Arizona, and I was one of 55 selected. Apparently, there's already a waiting list in case any of the 55 of us do not or cannot accept.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled and so appreciative of my three recommendation-writers. Or, as I like to call them, my guardian angels.

I'm very excited about this opportunity. Lack of supervisory experience be damned! I have to confirm by August 20. When I confirm, I can also apply for a scholarship, which, under current circumstances, would be the only way I'd be able to afford to participate.

Labels: CPL, fellowship, leadership, personal

My interview at the JCC went well last week. So well in fact that they just invited me back to meet individually with the CEO, CFO, and Development Director this Wednesday.

This is an added intermediate step in the process that was described to me last week. At that point, I was told that last week's interview was an initial screening interview and then there would be a search committee formed that would meet with a narrowed-down list of candidates.

I'm a little grumpy about the additional step. This is like the very first professional job I interviewed for, education director at a rape crisis center. They kept adding more steps for me than for any other candidates. Apparently I was the only man to apply and the board was uncomfortable with a man as a full time staff person (this was a pretty old-school, second-wave board at the time).

I finally said no to all the additional hoops they made me jump through. I was taken out of consideration at that point, but ended up working at the same organization in a different capacity nine months later. I'm not at a point yet where I'm even considering not jumping through hoops for the JCC, so fear not.

The woman who interviewed me last week also apparently called one of my references, which was an odd thing to do after a screening interview. I can't tell if they really like me or if they're really nervous about me.

Anyway, the search is moving along pretty well but please continue to pass leads along to me.

If worse comes to worst, I could always enroll in the yoga teacher training program...

Labels: career, jobs, personal, yoga

I was invited to submit a bid today to do some contract grant-writing work for an organization with which I'm quite familiar. It's not so hard to guess which one, but I'll leave an air of mystery for right now.

I also was hired for an hour this morning to take pictures at the Tucson Birthday Month kickoff event.

I have to say I really appreciate folks throwing me odd jobs now. It almost makes me think that I could, perhaps someday, afford to really make this business a full-time (or really part-time but paying full-time) gig.

I also just signed a new lease this afternoon at my current place of residence, so I won't be thinking about moving again for another 7 months. So much for that idea, but I did need to cut costs, and this will save me $135 a month compared with the month-to-month rate I had been paying.

All things considered, I'm actually enjoying my unemployment so far. I give it another week or so before I'm totally bored out of my mind. Of course, by then I expect to have found a new full-time job. Yes, it's hubris, but I tend to aim for the stars!

Labels: career, jobs, personal

I registered today for unemployment and will start collecting for this week next week.

I also set up an initial interview for the Communications Director position at the Tucson JCC for this Thursday.

Onward!

Labels: career, jobs, personal

One of the great things about my yoga practice is that the teachers use passages from sacred or inspirational texts to start or select a theme for each class. One of my favorites is from Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet"; it's been extremely helpful in putting my impending unemployment in perspective:

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

I may periodically post other pearls of wisdom as the mood strikes me. I hope you will find this wisdom as useful and fulfilling as I have.

Labels: career, jobs, journey, joy, Khalil Gibran, personal, sorrow, wisdom

There was a last minute change and my four week interim job has turned into a four day interim job. It's better than nothing, and now I'll still be motivated to find the permanent big thing as soon as possible. I trust the universe will provide.

Labels: career, jobs, personal

I was informed today that a decision has been made, given the unusual circumstances, to pay out for both unused vacation time AND unused sick time. Usually an organization only pays out for unused vacation time while unused sick time is forfeited.

I have used no time off during my brief tenure. This is very helpful and sets my heart more at ease.

Labels: career, jobs, personal

Wingspan's Office Coordinator is going to be gone for about a month. I have a meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of me filling in during that time as I continue my search for a permanent and suitable position.

More to come...

Labels: career, jobs, personal

Since a lot of you have been asking what opportunities I'm pursuing, I thought it would be more efficient to post the positions for which I've applied so far. If you know anybody connected to the hiring process for any of these positions, feel free to put in a good word for me.

• Executive Director, Pima County/Tucson Women's Commission - first interview on Friday, July 27
  
• Director of LGBTQ Affairs, University of Arizona
  
• University News Manager, University of Arizona
  
• Radio Announcer (part time), University of Arizona (it sounds like fun!)
  
• Marketing Director - Tucson, Arizona Theatre Company
  
• Director of Communications, Tucson JCC
  

I'm of course open to other opportunities, so please keep directing them my way. The ones for which I've applied above should give you some idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks!

Labels: career, jobs, personal

I posted my updated resume to the site; there's a link on every page of m2powered.com. Please refer any prospective employers here.

I'm also going to update the writing samples page to include my guest opinion on pay equity from a couple of weeks ago. That link also appears on every page of this site.

Labels: career, change, equality, jobs, personal

We're both lame duck Vice Presidents.

Of course, I'm the not-batshit-bloodthirsty-insane one.

Due to the merger of the two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Arizona, my position has been eliminated and the new position for which I interviewed has been given to someone else.

I'm actually doing just fine and am looking at this as a great opportunity to find a new and even better path. I respect the decision and the decision-makers, and I trust that the universe will give me everything I need.

Here's the text of the e-mail I sent to friends and colleagues this afternoon after I was given the news:

Dear friends,

As many of you know, my job has been in a state of limbo for a couple of months now as both Planned Parenthood affiliates in Arizona proceed with merging. I was told today that I will not be continuing with Planned Parenthood in any capacity moving forward. I have at least two weeks left here, though I've asked to remain employed for a little longer as I find my next opportunity.

I certainly appreciate all your well wishes and kind thoughts over the past few months as I've lived with the ambiguity. I'm actually doing well with the staffing decisions that were made and I'm optimistic about what the future will hold for me. There is severance, which should carry me through for about a month or so as I peer into the future. Layoffs happen to thousands of people every day, and it's certainly not the end of the world. I choose to look at this as a sign that I'm not doing what I should be doing and as an opportunity for me to find my next big thing.

That said, I'm appealing to you for help during this transition, particularly by way of feeding me any job postings that may be appropriate. I'll attach my resume to this e-mail to provide you with a more complete view of my professional and volunteer experience.

As you also know, I operate a small consulting practice and specialize in helping non-profit organizations and leaders communicate more effectively. My rates are highly competitive, so if you, you organization, or someone you know is looking for graphic design, speaker coaching, young leadership development, or sexuality/gender or disability awareness trainings, please visit my website (www.m2powered.com) for more information.

Working for Planned Parenthood has been a wonderful experience for me, and moving here from the Center Against Sexual Assault was absolutely the right decision for me at the right time. I wouldn't change that decision, even if I had known then what I know now. If you've been a supporter of Planned Parenthood in the past, I hope you will continue that support in the future, and if you haven't been a supporter, I hope you'll consider supporting the organization now, regardless of their decision about my position. There are far too few local organizations willing to stand up and take risks for progressive causes, or that give young people true positions of leadership within the organizational structure.

Thanks so much for your ongoing love and support. I feel truly blessed to count you as my friends.

Take care,
~ M

Please leave job leads for me in the comments of this post or e-mail them to me at michael -at- m2powered -dot- com. My preference would be something in the non-profit sector with supervisory responsibilities and in a senior leadership role.

Namaste.

Labels: career, challenge, endurance, friendship, hope, jobs, journey, opening to grace, personal, self-care, strength, success

Today is the fifth anniversary of the day my dad and I drove into Tucson from our last stop in Las Cruces, NM in the big yellow truck that carried all my earthly belongings.

I'm having a little bit of a hard time believing that I've stayed in Tucson this long. That day five years ago was filled with such hope and excitement and that nauseating sense of, "oh fuck, what have I just done?!"

For a variety of reasons, I've never particularly loved this place. I just don't find the desert beautiful, as so many transplants do. To me, it's just barren, boring dirt. And the sunsets don't wow me either. They're nice, sure, but they're no better than sunsets in Hawaii or Ithaca.

I don't relish being so down on Tucson. I'm trying to look for the good (it's part of the "flowing with grace" part of my yoga practice), and for the most part, the good is in the people I've met here. They're the reason I've made it through five years here. I'm grateful, even blessed, to count some truly wonderful people as my friends (even if some of them moved away and left me here - you know who you are!).

I'd like to not be here in another five years, but who knows what the future holds? If I'm to make another major move, I intend to do it differently, to have a job lined up, and to do it for concrete and valid reasons.

My life is pretty good. But it could be and deserves to be great. I've taken lemons and made lemonade in the five years I've been here, but I can't help but remind myself that I'm not following my own advice by staying here:

When the world gives you lemons, don't make lemonade; take those lemons back and demand the apples you wanted in the first place.

The time may be ripe for me to start making some apple cider.

Labels: change, contentment, fear, friendship, jobs, moving, not really newsworthy, opening to grace, personal, relationships, self-awareness, self-care, success, Tucson

OK, so everyone's been giving me shit for not blogging in over a month. Here's a photo thread to keep you entertained until I feel like writing something profound.

Click on this slideshow to go to my photo album of me and my friends (I love my new digital camera!):

Labels: contentment, friendship, hope, personal, photos, relationships

I get a lot of good-natured ribbing from friends and strangers alike for my stalwart refusal to join MySpace and lend credibility (which they earn through sheer volume of subscribers) to a web presence owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, the same parent company that started and owns the Fox "News" Channel.

MySpace is well on its way to becoming just another arm of the vast right-wing noise machine that the right has been building for the past 40 years. To wit: today it was announced that MySpace is launching a "politics channel" ahead of the 2008 Presidential elections.

MySpace claims it will offer profiles of five candidates from each party. I am happy to take bets on those profiles being skewed to a flattering light for the Republicans while making the Democrats each look like the second coming of Stalin.

So if it's just the same to you, I will continue my boycott of this element of Rupert Murdoch's evil empire.

Labels: personal, Pres-08, Rupert Murdoch's evil empire, social networking