Mouthy

Today is the first anniversary of arrival in the US. A year ago, I moved from Toronto to San Francisco as part of a planned move with my wife and I. We were looking for a new start, change of scene, better job opportunities and better weather.

I can't believe it's already been a year here. Crazy. So much uncertainty when I arrived. But in the last year, I've managed to:

* get married (at long last!)
* become a US permanent resident
* obtain the right to work
* establish some great local work experience in mobile media
* generally define some kind of career direction for myself
* land a full time gig
* learn to drive (yep, waited until a few days before my 31st birthday to get on that one)
* make a lot of great new friends and business contacts
* train for (an aborted) marathon -- next time, Gadget, next time

Those are just about all the highlights of the last year. Sometime it seems like a lot, other times it seems like not much at all to have accomplished.

Life here is definitely a lot different than it was back home. I'm far from my family, who I used to see all the time, far from old friends, and have been forced as a result to become a lot more outgoing and friendly. All good stuff.

Have I become more "American," or less Canadian in my outlook? I dunno, it's kind of hard to say. I think going back home for the holidays may help clarify and contrasts. But definitely the willingness to pick up and move more readily is a new personality trait, and one that is rather un-Canadian.

In any event, I have a sneaking suspicion that the next year here holds a whole lot more change and surprise in store.

Last night the posse got G.A.M.E. at Gamespot's first inaugural video game convention/party. Sort of like a mini-E3. The usual terminals for trying out new games, live music and scantily clad women paid to walk around handing out stuff and look trashy. All good, wholesome fun.

And now, some pix:

Julie, face down on the toilet seat, as usual. Thought this time getting a freebie massage, which made me very jealous.


Ida, who's always looking for a rubdown of sorts.



And of course, the Gamespot car, complete with 37 inch flat panel TV and three game consoles. Cuz if the geekmobile is rockin', it's because no sex is taking place there.

I didn't take any pix of the games, because, really, who cares? The point was to hang out, people watch, and enjoy the music.