Joe Ruiz

So I purposefully made the meaning of that picture vague. I always loved that Houston Astros logo and couldn't help but get that new cap when it became official. I also picked up a bacon/egg and carne guisada tacos this morning. You'll read why both matter in the following grafs.

I'm moving to Houston in the next week to begin a new job (in a new industry, even) with the Houston Independent School District. Admittedly, it hasn't hit me yet, but I'm doing something almost completely out of my comfort zone to try a new challenge.

I'll be working in the communications department, but still doing similar work to what I do now in helping tell stories online. Luckily (and honestly, this may have made the Houston decision easier), I have also taken a job working with NewsTaco.com (once again), so I'll still keep a focus on what's happening in online journalism. I'm working as their new Web Director, helping them move forward as they try to stand out in this growing market.

While I may be making most of my living outside of journalism, I certainly will always consider myself as one. All in all, I still love what I do and wish I were doing more of it. I have worked with so many great journalists and will take so many lessons with me throughout life and career.

I'd hoped this time wouldn't come. I may even have subconsciously prevented it from happening sooner than it might have, but I'm leaving San Antonio once again. I wish I could say more, but my mind is honestly kind of clouded with everything happening so fast.

Being in Houston will definitely make it easier to leave San Antonio (hell, I already know I'll be back in SA for two weekends in May), but I'm excited to try a few new things career-wise and maybe even focus a little more on a personal life. I also am going to miss my local friends and colleagues greatly. I'll have a deeper post soon, but I wanted to get this out there now since I won't have much time in the next few days.

Thank you to so many people for their unwavering support and the ass-kickings when I needed them. There are so many people I truly love, care for and thank for being with me during the peaks, valleys and everything in between. This year has been great so far (as opposed to a farily crappy 2011) and these two jobs should keep that going.

 

I guess it's official as I participated in two votes this past week. At last month's convention of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, I was elected as a write-in candidate to the director spot. Region 5 oversees Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. It's going to be my job to rep the region (and since we had no representation last year, I couldn't let it happen again) and help rebuild our membership. If you have ideas, regardless of if you're a member or not, I'd love to hear them.

Drop me a line. We're definitely going to need some help to get the organization back in good financial shape, but I'm confident we all can make it work. 

Its 12:39 a.m., Central time, in San Antonio, Texas.

But still an amazing view of the moon just before the lunar eclipse.

Because it's time.

I believe I can play a small role in making my hometown a better place to live and that requires me working and living there. I am going to focus my professional efforts on a startup news organization. What will its focus be? That remains to be declared. I have a few ideas, but I need to work through them some more. While following news in Seattle, I realized I cared so much about the place I called home that I could no longer allow myself to not do my part to improve the city I love so much in my own way. I realize I can take the large risk necessary at this time in my life. My last day at seattletimes.com will be Dec. 10 and I'll be returning home the following day. As I said, now's the time.

The Seattle Times has been a great place to work. The journalists there are top-notch, professional and care very deeply about this community.  I also work very closely with an amazing, intelligent and dedicated team of Web journalists and I will miss them very much. It's been great to work in a place that allows the freedom seattletimes.com does to try and better tell stories to our audience. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to do the work I've done here.

Hell, I never thought I'd be part of a team as recognized as this newsroom has been over the past year. While I don't want to drop an entire list of names of people that deserve my thanks and have earned my respect (I'll tell them later and possibly post something, too), I do want to take this brief moment to thank David Boardman, Kathy Best and especially Cory Haik for taking a chance on me. The professional and personal lessons I can take from you three will always be remembered and they have my utmost respect.

San Antonio and South Texas: I've missed you so. I look forward to returning home and doing good work for you. I look forward to working with the crew at TheBMPR again. And what the hell, I'm going to return to school, too. I'm both excited and nervous as hell about this next step in my life. I hope I can live up to my expectations and do right by those who have done so much for me, whether it be in person or digitally.

All my best wishes to Seattle and The Seattle Times. And my love to those at seattletimes.com who know they mean so much to me.

Took a long deserved day off (yes, it was) and went on a photography lesson/tour of a few main spots in downtown Seattle. This is about 1/10 of what I shot in three hours. Let me know what you think.

Nope, it isn't.

If you're reading this, well, I'm surprised because I've had so much trouble getting my domain to point here, but hopefully this works now.

I'm in the process of moving everything over, so this will be pretty bare for a bit. I'm also planning on posting more and sharing some thoughts (primarily on the new media industry, but let's see what else I come up with). Thanks for stopping by and your interest. I'll do my best to make it worth the stop.