Hail to the Chief: Has it Been Two Years Already?

Dear Chief,

Geez, has it been two years now? That is so hard to imagine. It still seems like yesterday when we talked on the phone that last time on a Sunday night.

Just like we always did.

It's always good to try and catch you up on things dad, because it's kind of my way of looking back at a year gone by.

And this one wasn't so great.

You already know about the biggie. Ilyse.

Never for a second have I doubted that she is sitting there with you every morning having your cup of coffee. And catching up on things. While keeping you honest and out of trouble. Which is a bit of table flipping, but then again, she always kept you honest whether you'd admit it or not.

It's so weird with her not being here anymore, things happened so very fast. Mom still says it seems like she's just off working somewhere and in a way it kind of feels like that to me too. It was so hard to see what happened, I'm not sure I could really ever describe it other than to say I was there for her as best I could be and it is still hard to digest, she is younger than me, it's not supposed to happen like that.

We had gotten a lot closer over the past few years and talked fairly regularly, all the way up to the end. Sure, we always kept tabs on each other...but we didn't talk as much when we were younger.

Mom is doing okay. She still has her good days and bad ones. I know she misses you terribly, but I'm proud of how hard she is trying to keep moving forward. We talk 2 or 3 times a week, I like checking in on her and I'm trying really hard to keep her spirits up and challenge her to do things.

Ilyse's friends have been great too. They call and visit mom a lot, they have her over and they go do things around town to get her out of the house. I can't describe to you how happy it makes me that they do that.

Jordan is doing okay. She talks to you a lot, I know how close you were. It's hard to believe she has 2 kids now, but she is so good with them, such a doting mom. And she's showing signs of growing up a little. It's been a challenge, but she does act responsibly more often than not these days. Sure, she has days where it's all about her, but she really has made the effort to be better about helping mom on occasion. Though I think Bubby has a hand in that too, he really does a pretty good job trying to keep her grounded.

As for me and Michelle.

We are doing very well. She is so incredible, the best thing that has or will ever happen to me in my entire life. We have so much fun just being together, doing fun things, making each other happy.

Things for me changed a bit about 2 weeks ago, I got laid off from work. It really sucked, they just ushered us (my team, 9 of us) in a room and said "You are done". It wasn't a total surprise, but it was very disappointing. I think the worst part aside from the crappy timing of the holiday season, was they didn't even consider finding other roles for any of us.

So I'm looking for work--again. Jon and Mark have done me a huge favor and got me some freelance work with them at Georgia Public Sports, they've been wanting me to work for them for years. And I'm looking hard for opportunities here, but it's tough. I'm not as young as I used to be and there aren't tons of opportunities out there. I have to admit, I'm a little worried.

Aside from that, you'd be so proud of how healthy I've become. I've kept the weight off and still run 3 times a week.

I did my first 10K in July (Peachtree Road Race), but you know that. I'm running another one on Thursday and really looking forward to it. I love the hard work that has to be put in to train for a race, love the sweat, really love the challenge.

Michelle is doing great. She always misses you, I've told you before how much she loved just sitting with you and talking about anything. She misses that, a lot.

Her work is going well as usual, she does so many things and Macy's leans on her really hard, but she always perseveres, always wow's them.

It's been tough dealing with her mom though. We got Gale to an assisted living place early in the year, which we had to do, but Gale has been bitter and angry at us ever since. We've got a lot of challenges to overcome there still and honestly, I don't know how it's going to play out.  I'm very worried her problems are going to roll into our issues to fix. I don't know when,  but it's starting to happen already. And it's going to be a problem.

Lastly, Rosie and the cats.

Rosie is awesome, you'd love her. Even if she doesn't play catch. She is such a sweet-natured dog. You met her when she was a pup, she's mellowed a bit. She's so much like Daze it's funny. She follows me everywhere and is perfectly happy to be wherever I am. She still has her moments, like when she chases squirrels or tries to eat acorns when we walk, but she is really well behaved.

The cats...well, we are trying to get them adopted out. It was a difficult decision, both are sweet at heart. But we are having trouble keeping up with them and maintaining things the way we should for them. And Rosie always wants to play with them, which neither like so much.

I guess I'll wrap things up now, I need to update the OSG website and see what else is going on in the world today. I don't have a ton on the agenda, but it's a Saturday and you know I don't sit still really well, so I'll have to find something to keep me entertained. Michelle has an event at her Wine Club (1st rule of Wine Club, you don't talk about Wine Club) and I don't get to go.

So there's that.

Hope things are well with you. I really, really miss getting to talk to you every week. I also miss just going to hang out with you and laughing about your old stories. But I'm trying really hard to make you proud, really hard to keep you smiling. I never wanted you to have to worry about me and I still don't. But I want you to know that I'm always thinking about you and no, I don't get sad when I do. 

I smile...

Mostly because I know you wouldn't want it any other way.

Love you,

Phil

Back Where We Started: Do It Again

Okay---sigh---, so yeah, I don't post much here anymore unless I've got some deep thoughts or stuff going on.

And well, if you haven't heard, that's pretty much what's happening.

For those unaware: Yup, got laid off from work yesterday. The Weather Channel eliminated my team. Which kinda sucks.

But I'm not angry, I bear no ill will towards them, I understand what was going on and I know why it had to happen. Though I may not agree with it, it's business. And right now they are struggling.

It's unfortunate and while I'm not so much angry, I am a little sad. I got to work with some amazing, fun and talented people. Despite all that went on and didn't work right in that building, I could never say enough good things about the people that I worked with.

For the first time in my career, I actually worked someplace where everyone was totally devoted to the product. Totally about doing what was best for the team. There was very little of the back-stabbing or selfishness often seen in the TV business.

Great group of people.

And I'm really, honestly going to miss the people on my team. They got rid of all 9 of us. Chad Clark, Beth Hemphill, Noelle Reetz, Mandy Carranza, Mark Somers, Keith O'Shea, Jose (Joe) Hernandez, Jon (Yvegni) Spevak and John Alleva. Chad, Noelle, Beth and I were originals. We started together back in March of 2012. Along with our boss Jim Proeller, Matt Saffer, Alex Sembra and Jim Robinson, we launched what at the time was called the "Cross Platform/Video Producer" team.

Matt, Alex and Jim R. moved on to other roles but the rest of us stayed as our roles changed and never were able to be fully defined. We all had similar, but different skill sets and for lack of a better way to put it, were the utility infielders of the newsroom. We did a little bit of everything.

But we all, all of us, immediately hit it off. We all became fast friends, it was like we'd known each other for years. It was scary, we could finish each others sentences almost immediately.

We did a lot for the Weather Channel, helped them at least get on the road to becoming what they want to be. For years, they just kind of cruised along, doing forecasts, talking weather maps and never evolved with the times.

They are still having a tough time with that, but leaving the place, it's a totally different operation than it was when I walked in the door for the first time. The web and mobile teams are at the forefront. They should be. They are the future. That team does an amazing job amassing information, processing it, and getting it on the web and on your phone.

The TV folks are still struggling. Years of neglect, technology issues and lack of staff have dogged them for years. But it's not for lack of effort. There were times: Superstorm Sandy, the various Winter Storms that shut down Atlanta and others, where the work was extraordinary. We did things that Fox News or CNN could never do. With a lot less staff.

I will forever be grateful for the time I spent at the Weather Channel, I got to on occasion do some fun things. I got to storm chase with the franchise--Jim Cantore in Bermuda. They paid for me to go hang out at Sony Motion Picture studios in L.A for a week and learn about 4K video. I got to work on my writing and editing skills. And I got to lead the network in the transition from Final Cut 7 to Adobe Premiere Editing, doing all the beta testing and figuring out how to meld it into our workflow and systems.

So....now I get to look for a job...again. It's my 3rd go around in this world, I'm hoping I haven't forgotten how to do it.

I was out of work for nearly six months when Michelle and I moved to Cincinnati. But 60 resumes and tons of rejection letters later, I found an opportunity and jumped all over it.

When we moved back to Atlanta, same thing. No job. But I had a built in network. And because of that network, I found work pretty fast.

And that network has already reached out. I've got some freelance work already lined up. And some leads on open positions.

So it's time.

The resume has already been updated: Confession, I updated it about a month ago. I knew something was up, just didn't know what. My schedule got changed to horrible hours and I started the preparation process. I know better.

Sure, the timing sucks. Very few hire during the holidays. But I will start moving forward. And not looking back. I will remember the good times at the Weather Channel and I hope to stay in touch with everyone. But as the saying goes "Time waits for no one", and I'm not getting any younger.

I'm looking for stability, I want to go work somewhere where I can finish my career. I've accomplished so many things and had some unbelievable experiences. But I'm not 30-years old anymore either, I started as a journalist in 1988, that's a long time ago. I want to pass what I know on to others, I want to make people better at what they do.

I want to pass down what I've learned. I've learned at the feet from some of the best people in the storytelling business. It's a legacy that was passed on to them, they passed it on to me.

I hope I get a chance to keep passing that legacy on to a new generation....

 

I did it for you....

Dear Chief and Ilyse:

I know it's been awhile since we've talked, but really, I do always think about y'all and I'm writing this time because I have to thank you.

You may not know this. Heck, nobody really knows this because I really haven't talked about it...but I did something on Friday, July 4th, 2014 in your honor. I did something that I know you both would have been never thought I'd do, but once I made my mind up, you knew I'd accomplish it.

I ran in the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta along with 60,000 or so others. The race, billed as the worlds largest 10K is an Atlanta tradition.

But you know that.

I ran it because I wanted to do something to honor you both with an accomplishment. Sure, there was the sense of accomplishment for me. It's something I always thought would be cool to say I've done. And something that I can say I've done before I reached the age of 50.

I did it.

Sure, the training has been a challenge, but you both know how much I love a good challenge. And yeah, I know, I hated to run as a kid, even though I had to for sports. I always preferred to just play my way in shape, which was good enough to a point...

I also had gotten fat. I got out of shape. And you both know I was always athletic growing up. Fast too. To see the look on the faces of Coach Peterson and the other basketball coaches at Lake Brantley when I ran a 4.79 and 4.80 40-yard dash back-to-back was priceless.

But as I got older and work got in the way I didn't play so much. Heck, after my ankle injury and surgeries I didn't think I'd ever be able to do much athletically any more.

I got past it.

Dad, you'd be proud and I know you were smiling while I ran. I've lost so much weight (40lbs in two years), I look a lot healthier and younger than I ever have. (Except for my ever graying beard)

And Ilyse, you'd be smiling too because you always knew how much I wanted to accomplish things. You more than anyone always knew how much I hated to lose...at anything. And that I could never be happy unless I was successful in whatever I did.

That in large part is why I'm thanking you both. You both were my inspiration. You both helped me decide that I had the strength to pull this off. I wish so much that you both could have been there with Michelle to see what I did. The smile on her face when she found me at the Family Meet-up area made the both of us well up and nearly cry.

I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to come see both of you lately, it's been tough. We've been very busy and have our hands full dealing with Michelle's mom. But we take some solace knowing things have settled down a bit in South Carolina and that we don't have to rush down there and help everyone.

I'll try my best to write more often, because really, you both know I express my thoughts and feelings better this way than talking out loud about them. For whatever reason, I've always been that way.

But again, you both know that.

I miss you both terribly and I wanted to let you know in the best way that I could how much you both helped me. I hope you are both having a good laugh and Ilyse I know is keeping you honest dad. Because that's what she always does.

If everything works out, we are going to come visit next week. Michelle and I will smile real big, say a big and hearty hello and be very happy in the knowledge that you both are immensely proud of us.

Much love,

Phil