So...it's been a while...

   I've done it again. I've let this blog sit idle for too long and visitor traffic has almost come to a stand still. Well, today I've decided to try to rectify that and bring you folks up to speed on what I've been up to lately.

• My job at Target is going well. It's been over two months now and I've really settled into my role as a member of the store's logistics team. In simple terms you could say I'm a glorified stock-boy, but I don't like that title. I do so much more than just stocking shelves.
• I get along really well with all of my coworkers and am making new friends all the time. I'd say everyone there gets along well, actually. I don't see any animosity between anybody and it's so nice to work in a drama-free environment.
• It's also really nice to continually hear how well I do my job. It's amazing just how much hearing the phrase "good job" can do for my morale. I've had other jobs in the past where my employers never did that and would only talk to me when I was doing something they saw as wrong, even if I was right. There's a reason those companies don't keep very many long term employees.
• Outside of Target, my involvement with this year's Rock The Shores and Rifflandia music festivals has already started. I've been contacted by the event producers and invited to work with them again this summer and I can hardly wait for that. Just the other day I helped the producers move into their new office downtown, which was a lot of work, but it was good to see everyone again.
• As far as my own musical hobby goes, I can't really say I've done a lot of playing lately. I've really been suffering from a lack of inspiration these days and I'm looking into possibly getting new guitar effects hoping that will spark something. I'll write more about that next time.
• I am making a lot of progress with my model ships. My third ship, a US Navy command ship, is really taking shape now and is starting to actually look more like a ship and not just a hodge-podge of random parts. I've done a lot of custom scratch-building and detailing to make the model look as much like the real ship does today as I can and while it can be frustrating working with such tiny parts, the payoff is worth it. The unfinished model already has a commanding presence on my bookcase!
• Speaking of my model ships, the video I made last year for my RMS Titanic has had over 11,000 views and has received a lot of positive comments. I'm really quite proud of that one.

   So that's about it, really. I know I'm not the most exciting blogger out there, but my life is stable. I have my wife, my friends, my health, and my home and I'm thankful for those things.
   I'll do my best to write more soon. To tide you over, here's a recent photo of my current model ship. This is the forward section of the main deck, loaded with communications equipment. There's a bit more to do, but I'm happy with how it looks so far!

   Take care of yourselves, and each other!

The Wandering Oak