One Ethan Blake e-mailed me a couple weeks ago seeking some advice on graphic design internships in Baltimore. The e-mail was a total surprise because Ethan's dad was a graphic designer friend who suddenly passed away in 1994 when Ethan was 7. Now Ethan is in college studying to be a publication designer like his dad. So I insisted on taking him to dinner. Over steaks at the Lone Star Saloon tonight, I gave Ethan a brain dump on my experiences in the design world. There is so much of his dad in the way he looks and talks. I have a feeling the son will find the same success as his dad.

- mike lee - columbia, md

...at Matchbox. I tried the mini-burgers for the first time. Yum.

- mike lee - washington, dc

...my first encounter with one of the new R2-D2 mailboxes.

- mike lee - @ entrance to 2100 crystal city shops, va

Cici is off with her friend Mia and her parents for a play day in Glen Echo Park, so Amy and I went to the Art-o-matic show in Crystal City, VA. This annual grassroots art exhibit filled 90,000 sq. of unused office space this year with artists who merely have to pay $75 to exhibit. Note photo 5 of the last supper diorama made with peeps, and the lounge chair built from 40,000 aluminum pull tabs.

- mike lee

Sadly my co-director, David, is leaving after 13 years at our company. He was our tech department's tireless keeper of the flame--or shall I say kernel.

Pictured is the sendoff last night in the basement vault of the District Chop House. The box is our web site's first server, an SGI Indy from circa 1994. The team is giving it to him as a keepsake. It apparently still boots up fine.

We will miss you David!

- mike lee - washington, dc

After several delays over a period of six months, the day of the reorganization of our web team arrived today. The specifics were very closely held until today--even for management.

At 8:25am, in a private meeting with my boss and two reps from human resources, I was told my job will be eliminated as of June 1. I got a thick folder of unemployment fact sheets and job descriptions of new positions to which I could apply. I had five more meetings with various groups until 3:30pm during which time I learned the big picture of the changes. 19 jobs were eliminated, including my entire group of 13. 24 new positions were created and 10 people were spared.

The eliminated were encouraged to apply for one or more of the new jobs by May 8. If I don't get re-hired, I can work until July 1 and then be given a severance package, which for me would be four weeks of pay. The 20+ consultants in our group are not affected for now.

My guess is that I have a good chance of getting re-hired in some capacity or another because I'm assigned to so many large projects and work groups that they would be mildly F-ed if I walked. And all this is after two of my colleagues in senior management resigned two weeks ago. Lots to think about over the next few weeks.

The last two photos are a reminder of why I am doing all this.

- mike lee - washington dc

Well, after four years of ignoring invites from LinkedIn, I let myself get assimilated into this grownup's social network. I decided to join on Friday as I have to tweak my resume to re-apply for a job at my current workplace. We find out in a few hours how many jobs have been eliminated and what the new ones are. But hey, as I build up my network-enabled resume on LinkedIn, the responses to my invites are steadily trickling in. I've got 17 connections out of 47 invites. Not bad for a first weekend. And it was nice to catch up with some longtime acquaintances.

- mike lee - wheaton, md

The first of two performances of Glitterama II last night was, appropriately, a "load of fun." The talent show featured weird and wacky acts that included midgets from Pluto, a man in a cupcake suit and guitar belting out death metal, a pregnant belly dancer, and much more. I'll be posting more photos off the link above tonight.

There are also photos posted from the photo shoot for Fluid Movement's upcoming water ballet War and Fleas. Almost more fun than the shoot was enjoying the reactions of people in the park to seeing a group of dogified humans running around.

After Glitterama, we went to Rocket to Venus for drinks and an appetizer. We ran into old friend Marcie Jones and her husband Matt.

We spent a comfy night at Hyatt Regency and had brunch at Kiss Cafe in Canton.

- mike lee - baltimore

Amy and I are shooting publicity photos of members of Fluid Movement for the upcoming water ballet War and Fleas.

- mike lee - patterson park, baltimore

Cici at brunch with her aunties at Mosaic Cafe in Rockville.

- mike lee