Dear Friends:

After my project "Gigantic" was shelved last fall, Disney Animation now faces leadership accusations, corporate mergers, and departures from all levels. It's been hard to stay positive, but I've found myself temporarily on a development project (unannounced 2020) as the dust continues to swirl and I evaluate the landscape.

At the same time, family obligations linger in the path forward, but that has made Levi's companionship an even more welcomed addition to my routine. The pup has happily accepted my self imposed challenge to be the best dog dad possible - researching nutrition, training, grooming, and the cute model poses for social media.

On the home front, I've made adjustments to allow for cohabitating with the lady friend, Connie. While space remains tight, we found a way to accommodate all of Levi's toys and still make some of our own upgrades, like a 65" OLED 4k HDR TV.

Levi happily joins family visits to San Diego, San Francisco, and while Philly may be a stretch, will make his second camping trip this summer.  While in NorCal, I also did some work at the Walt Disney Family Museum and sat court side at my first Warriors game.

Although the future uncertainty makes it hard to plan travel, we took a much needed 12-night expedition to New Zealand in February - skydiving over the snowcapped mountains in Queenstown, heli-hiking on the Franz Josef glacier, trekking up Roy's Peak for sunrise, and soaking in the warm sanctuary of the Onsen Hot Pools.

The year is moving fast, so I am anxious to find my cadence, but prepared for these life hurdles to continue outside my control. If anything, the Super Bowl LII champion Eagles have taught me that despite the odds, being the underdog makes victory that much sweeter.

Fly eagles fly!
-Mike