Dear Friends:

As promised, I turned my attention to the domestic front this summer - introducing my bedroom to talalay latex, embedding a 20-hard-disk-drive network attached storage into my home theater, cleaning crevasses with the cordless Dyson DC59, and upgrading my ride to a first generation Acura RDX with SH-AWD.

Desperately trying to avoid crinkling into an old man, I jetted off to Southern Europe for an aggressive 7-night holiday in August - soaking in the rich architecture of Barcelona, diverse culture of Istanbul, and luxurious beauty of Santorini.  Here in California, new adventures on foot took me through the Channel Islands, Mt. Baldy, Abalone Cove, Scipps Pier, El Matador State Beach, and Leo Carrillo State Beach (just last night).

Documenting life along the way, I harnessed myself with my first full-frame 42mp Sony A7RII 4k mirrorless camera.  I am pleased to announce I was one of 250 finalist for the National Park Service, Centennial Project - a photo contest to find and celebrate the top 100 Find Your Park stories.  As an individual who finds refuge in our natural and cultural resources, I could not be more honored and thank you for your support.

At Disney, the theatrical short is on track to premiere next year.  Even though we are far from finished, my elevated/hybrid role has offered a new level of challenges and learning opportunities, all while I've attempted to not completely and utterly fail.  Professional outreach continues to keep me busy, taking a research trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific along with speaking engagements at Siggraph at the LA Convention Center and the upcoming CTN eXpo in Burbank in November.

This holiday I look forward to making a trip back to the East Coast before entering a focused production period at work in the new year.  For the first time in my career, there will be no Disney Animated film in theaters this year (but not to worry, there are two in 2016).  As a result, I will probably keep myself entertained renovating my kitchen countertops and a flying around to balance it all out.

Talk soon,
-Mike