There’s no way this is how it will end... right?
A little thing that started as a work demo
I liked the movie, but I thought this would’ve been cool
I’ve been doing more painting on the iPad, here’s a little guy I did and the process video as well.
The folk below return for naught, Lidless ones fix tight 'neath the waters. Save when a golem, a lesson needs be taught, They call upon their golden daughters, And come bestow what can't be bought.
Shattered by his stony kin, Dismantled, judged, and left for death. Yet when the wet ones observe the sin, They take their gold and give him breath, For they can see what sits within.
Today is Val's birthday. I was only 16 years old the first time I fell in love with her. It was odd to see a 10th-grader have so much compassion and empathy for everyone around her. I distinctly remember walking out of geometry class, talking to someone about Everquest or skateboarding or whatever, and seeing Val make a group of special needs kids laugh before giving them all high fives and saying bye to each of them. If I had to point to one moment in time as the BEGINNING of knowing that I loved her, that was it. She had me. And the years after felt like wandering into a dream. I fell in love with her again when I was 19 years old. I left her and the rest of my life to go to Portugal for two years to be a missionary. There were care packages waiting for me in Porto. She sent me letters almost every day. She made a quilt that kept me warm for the entire two years (and still does). I fell in love again with Val when I was 21 years old. It was Christmas morning and I had just flown back from Portugal. I proposed to her and she said yes. I fell in love with Val again when I was 22 and we got married. When we read Harry Potter in Arizona, when we only had each other and didn't want it any other way. I fell in love with Val when I was 23 and Max was born. When we slowly realized something wasn't right with him. When I was 24 and we took him to the rec center with his walker and cheered when he took those late steps on his own. When we cried because we learned he probably would never talk, and when we cried again in the car when he said his first word, "Mickey". When I was 26 and Penny was born. When we smiled at each other when the nurse called her "absolutely perfect". When I was 27 years old and we took Max to have his skull cut open and his brain operated on. When I was 28 and we realized it didn't help, but she kept reading and talking to doctors and doing anything she could. When I was 30 and she forgave me. When I was 31 and watched her give her entire life to others. Every single day. Whether it's for me, Max, Penny, our families, her friends, or strangers who she met 2 seconds ago. I fell in love with her again an hour ago when she turned 31 and kissed me goodnight. I'll love her when I'm 32 and every second of every year after. I wouldn't trade the privilege of being near her for anything in the world. Happy Birthday, Queen.
So. After a lot of consideration, the time has come for me to move on from Blizzard. I'll be starting a really amazing opportunity with Riot in the coming weeks. I started at Blizzard as an intern 6 years ago. There's too many people to name, too many experiences to recount, too many stories to tell about how my time there has molded me. I've had incredible successes and colossal mistakes, and am grateful for how much I've learned and changed from both. I have lifelong friends I've made at Blizzard and will miss seeing everyone so often, especially the Character Team that I've been a part of for so long. I'll forever be thankful for everyone's great examples to me and everything you've taught me. It's bittersweet but I feel so incredibly excited for what's to come. I'm a big believer in choosing your own destiny and creating your own happiness. Change is tough, but I'm learning that it's inevitable, and that making your own choices is so much better than waiting for life to default. "It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to."