The world is full of good and bad. That’s just kind of how it is.

About a year ago, I got “downsized” from my full-time job and started going down the freelance route. As much as I wouldn’t have chosen to leave the job and liked a lot of what I was doing there, freelancing has afforded me some great opportunities.

Huge amongst these opportunities is the opportunity I’ve gotten to write here on a far more regular basis. I am exceptionally proud of the “007(x3) Weeks of 007” series. Running for nearly six full months and discussing every James Bond, it was a serious project and really helped me organize my thoughts going into “Spectre.”

What has also been great has been the opportunity to write movie reviews, whether they’re for this site or IGN or somewhere else (I’m talking to folks, but nothing solid on this front yet). I did junket interviews when I was full-time, but never really got the chance to offer my thoughts on things, and if you’ve been reading this site then you know I’ve got lots of thoughts on things.

I have done a bunch of freelance work for other places as well this year, including Latino-Review, Screen Junkies Plus, and my local newspaper. Heck, I’ve even gone back to HitFix to help them launch this year TV Critics Poll which has been no small feat.

Then, I’ve launched a podcast, Lass is More, and of that I couldn’t be more proud. I have talked to some really fascinating, really smart, people on the podcast. We have also put out a whole lot of smaller episodes with my thoughts on movies, TV, and life.

Of course, as I’ve gotten more freelance work, the amount of time I’ve been able to devote to this site has declined. But, and this is really the point of this whole piece, it’s not going anywhere. I may write for a bunch of places and have a growing list of obligations, but this is the place where I have gotten to truly offer my voice.

On a personal level, my wife somehow convinced me to start running and I’m far healthier now than I was before. I have even signed up for a half marathon or two, but we’ll see if that happens. 13.1 miles feels a lot further than the 11.3 that has marked my longest run to date.

I am also, actually, generally happier than I was before and certainly less stressed.

We will have to see what next year brings, but I really couldn’t have asked this year to have been better.

Categories: Random Thoughts