I’m taking some time out of my day off to send along my annual holiday wishes to friends, co-workers and family so the time doesn’t slip away. I hope everyone has had a great year. We here at the Foley household are doing quite well and I figure now is the best time to get everyone caught up this year.
It seems like over the last few years, Amy and I have been focusing on our plan. We have been planning for our future. Well, finally, all those plans are paying off and we are focusing more on the future rather than the plan for the future. We are both making huge strides in our perspective careers. While 2008 was a bit of a struggle at times, I truly feel that 2009 is shaping up to be one of our best years to date.
Looking back on 2008, I think that I have officially slogged my way through my last year at my 9-to-5 job at Reasor’s. I love the people that I work with but the job itself is less than satisfying and, with each passing day, I find myself longing for my true path. It is steady, reliable work and I am guaranteed my paycheck every two weeks… but it is just not what I am destined to do.
My light at the end of the tunnel is Amy’s nursing school. She continues to dominate at school, making excellent grades and establishing lots of network contacts with her clinicals. And let’s face it. Gaining a job as a LPN is not going to be difficult. Amy has levels of compassion that I am not capable of and while she is still early in her planning, she wants to become a SANE nurse – that stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. I want you to think about the type of person that particular profession would take. Imagine a woman that has experience possibly the most traumatic experience of her life and Amy wants to be that kind and helpful hand of reassurance that says, “I’m going to help you through this and my what I am going to do for you will convict the man that did this to you.” That takes a special person. And I write stories involving muscle men in capes and spandex… Wow.
So she is on the downhill slope with her schooling. When this happens (I am going to say in April), I will either quit or cut back to two days a week at Reasor’s and focus on writing full time – which I will be able to do with her having the steady paycheck.
This dovetails me into my next segment. I believe that I have turned a major corner with my comic book career. Having hooked up with Campfire Comics and continuing to work with past companies like Arcana Studios and a surprise job from MVCreations this past year, I am continuing to write funny books for a living. I had the Penance: Trial of the Century comic released in stores this year. I am not certain on the sales but Internet buzz was really good for the story. I also had a script I was involved with released on a DVD that was sold at Wal-Mart. I remember walking through the store and seeing it on the shelves, saying, “My comic is on that DVD.” That is pretty frickin’ cool. And I could not be happier.
I think it is rare for people to find their true calling and it is even rarer to be able to make a living at it. So typing away doing stories, either costumed superheroes, sword-and-sorcery fantasy, adapting classic fiction, or presenting a modern retelling of ancient myths, this is the path that has chosen me and I could not be happier to walk it.
Despite being pressured by working a forty-hour workweek and trying to get my pages done while working, when I am writing, I am at my happiest. So if I drop off the grid every once in a while and if you don’t hear from me, it is probably because I am hip deep in a script. I cannot wait to tell everyone about the projects I have forthcoming.
The kids are all doing very well at Osage. I am happy to have everyone at the same school to save on gas prices. Alex (now 12-years-old) played basketball again this year and is continuing to excel at his drawing. I think we are going to post some of his work on eBay just to see if anything might happen. (Even if it sells for a dollar, he is officially paid as an artist!)
As he gets older Jason (10-years-old) becomes more and more like me everyday. (God help him.) He has struggled a bit this year with his anxiety attacks but we are using a double-headed attack to help him cope with this. What frustrates me the most is that he is ten. No kid his age should have anxiety.
Lauren (5-years-old) wakes up genuinely excited for school. When the kids were out of school with the ice storm, she was extremely disappointed. I tell her to hug her brothers hoping her exuberance will rub off on them. She has become quite girly overnight and is concerned with her hair and dressing up like a princess. She certainly thinks that she runs the household.
So that is the official report from the desk of Ryan. We have a good family life. I would be lying if I said I could be happier. We don’t have any problems a lottery win wouldn’t cure. Career-wise, I am on my way. Amy is right behind me. The kids are good. No serious health problems. The bills are paid. We aren’t starving and we have heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Only my nightmarish addiction to Marvel Legends Action Figures continue to torment the family causing an inevitable divorce or a massive sale on eBay about ten minutes after I am buried in the ground. But if that is the worst of the problems, we are doing pretty good.
My only real complaint is that this year has seen my relationships stretched with my friends because of distance and time. Life pulls everyone in different directions. It is an unfortunate side effect of life and career… but hopefully letters like this help me maintain my contact.
My mom used to say that Christmas loses its magic a little bit every year until you have children. And then when you have kids, it all comes rushing back. There are all sorts of presents under the tree. Amy is baking, filling the house with great smells. We watch movies like Elf, Fred Claus, The Grinch, Jingle All the Way, and Home Alone. The kids are bursting at the seams with excitement. Man, it is just a great time. There’s a lot of positive energy flowing around in the house and my biggest struggle is denying the kids the chance to open the presents early. I hope that you and your family are just as good and happy. Have a great holiday. Embrace the spirit of this wonderful season. And my ultimate wish for everyone getting this little note is the same as always:
It seems like over the last few years, Amy and I have been focusing on our plan. We have been planning for our future. Well, finally, all those plans are paying off and we are focusing more on the future rather than the plan for the future. We are both making huge strides in our perspective careers. While 2008 was a bit of a struggle at times, I truly feel that 2009 is shaping up to be one of our best years to date.
Looking back on 2008, I think that I have officially slogged my way through my last year at my 9-to-5 job at Reasor’s. I love the people that I work with but the job itself is less than satisfying and, with each passing day, I find myself longing for my true path. It is steady, reliable work and I am guaranteed my paycheck every two weeks… but it is just not what I am destined to do.
My light at the end of the tunnel is Amy’s nursing school. She continues to dominate at school, making excellent grades and establishing lots of network contacts with her clinicals. And let’s face it. Gaining a job as a LPN is not going to be difficult. Amy has levels of compassion that I am not capable of and while she is still early in her planning, she wants to become a SANE nurse – that stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. I want you to think about the type of person that particular profession would take. Imagine a woman that has experience possibly the most traumatic experience of her life and Amy wants to be that kind and helpful hand of reassurance that says, “I’m going to help you through this and my what I am going to do for you will convict the man that did this to you.” That takes a special person. And I write stories involving muscle men in capes and spandex… Wow.
So she is on the downhill slope with her schooling. When this happens (I am going to say in April), I will either quit or cut back to two days a week at Reasor’s and focus on writing full time – which I will be able to do with her having the steady paycheck.
This dovetails me into my next segment. I believe that I have turned a major corner with my comic book career. Having hooked up with Campfire Comics and continuing to work with past companies like Arcana Studios and a surprise job from MVCreations this past year, I am continuing to write funny books for a living. I had the Penance: Trial of the Century comic released in stores this year. I am not certain on the sales but Internet buzz was really good for the story. I also had a script I was involved with released on a DVD that was sold at Wal-Mart. I remember walking through the store and seeing it on the shelves, saying, “My comic is on that DVD.” That is pretty frickin’ cool. And I could not be happier.
I think it is rare for people to find their true calling and it is even rarer to be able to make a living at it. So typing away doing stories, either costumed superheroes, sword-and-sorcery fantasy, adapting classic fiction, or presenting a modern retelling of ancient myths, this is the path that has chosen me and I could not be happier to walk it.
Despite being pressured by working a forty-hour workweek and trying to get my pages done while working, when I am writing, I am at my happiest. So if I drop off the grid every once in a while and if you don’t hear from me, it is probably because I am hip deep in a script. I cannot wait to tell everyone about the projects I have forthcoming.
The kids are all doing very well at Osage. I am happy to have everyone at the same school to save on gas prices. Alex (now 12-years-old) played basketball again this year and is continuing to excel at his drawing. I think we are going to post some of his work on eBay just to see if anything might happen. (Even if it sells for a dollar, he is officially paid as an artist!)
As he gets older Jason (10-years-old) becomes more and more like me everyday. (God help him.) He has struggled a bit this year with his anxiety attacks but we are using a double-headed attack to help him cope with this. What frustrates me the most is that he is ten. No kid his age should have anxiety.
Lauren (5-years-old) wakes up genuinely excited for school. When the kids were out of school with the ice storm, she was extremely disappointed. I tell her to hug her brothers hoping her exuberance will rub off on them. She has become quite girly overnight and is concerned with her hair and dressing up like a princess. She certainly thinks that she runs the household.
So that is the official report from the desk of Ryan. We have a good family life. I would be lying if I said I could be happier. We don’t have any problems a lottery win wouldn’t cure. Career-wise, I am on my way. Amy is right behind me. The kids are good. No serious health problems. The bills are paid. We aren’t starving and we have heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Only my nightmarish addiction to Marvel Legends Action Figures continue to torment the family causing an inevitable divorce or a massive sale on eBay about ten minutes after I am buried in the ground. But if that is the worst of the problems, we are doing pretty good.
My only real complaint is that this year has seen my relationships stretched with my friends because of distance and time. Life pulls everyone in different directions. It is an unfortunate side effect of life and career… but hopefully letters like this help me maintain my contact.
My mom used to say that Christmas loses its magic a little bit every year until you have children. And then when you have kids, it all comes rushing back. There are all sorts of presents under the tree. Amy is baking, filling the house with great smells. We watch movies like Elf, Fred Claus, The Grinch, Jingle All the Way, and Home Alone. The kids are bursting at the seams with excitement. Man, it is just a great time. There’s a lot of positive energy flowing around in the house and my biggest struggle is denying the kids the chance to open the presents early. I hope that you and your family are just as good and happy. Have a great holiday. Embrace the spirit of this wonderful season. And my ultimate wish for everyone getting this little note is the same as always:
May the best of your past be the worst of your future…
Merry Christmas, everyone.
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