Hey everyone,

My mom’s side of the family has a pretty extensive history fighting and overcoming cancer (my mom, two of her three sisters, and two of their husbands, have all successfully fended off various forms of the disease), and as a result they’ve become dedicated supporters of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Every year we all get together for the big Livestrong Challenge event here in town. We “race” under the team name of The Flying Turkeys, since the sisters grew up on a turkey farm just outside of Austin. Now that I’m back in Texas, this is my first year running with the Turkeys, and I couldn’t be more excited. It also means I’m a fundraising noob and asking the internet to provide me with its copious small-donation bounty.

If y’all would like to donate to the cause, I’ve set up a direct link for easy online donations:

http://bit.ly/cancersux

My family and I appreciate anything you can give, so thanks in advance and feel free to pass this post on to others.

Thanks!

—Matt

The Flying Turkeys take flight (sort of)

For the last week I’ve been buried under enjoying our last couple weeks in California and trying to finish editing Lilly’s wedding before we move. Photos will be light, but Twittering should remain active for those wanting to keep in touch.

We roll into Austin on May 1! Can’t wait!

This is why I always try to fly Southwest:

1. Months ago, book an SFO-Dallas flight using frequent flyer miles.
2. Get laid off.
3. Have to move back to Texas.
4. Call United and ask to cancel my flight and hopefully get back some FF miles.
5. Woman tells me that she can cancel my flight, but there’s a $150 charge to re-credit the miles. However, since I lost my job, I can get that $150 refunded by calling United’s refund department.
6. Call refund dept. Agent tells me that fees for re-crediting FF miles are non-refundable. But since my flight’s already been canceled, I’m stuck with that $150 charge on my credit card. For my FREE flight. Which I got because I was such a loyal customer.
7. Remind the dude that I canceled the flight because I LOST MY JOB and am broke. No luck.
8. Request to speak to a manger, which apparently means waiting for a manager to call me back sometime in the next 24 hours.

Way to go, guys.

UPDATE: Holy lord, my story is nothing compared to the woman who couldn’t be at her mother’s deathbed because a United ticket agent went on break. WTF is wrong with this company?

It’s official: We’re packing up the zoo and moving back to Texas at the end of April. So long, Bay Area. I’ll miss your food, but not your rents.

I knew my name was common enough, but during the redesign I did some Googling for “matt wright photography” and the results really drove home just how common.

Presenting: at least eight other photographers named Matt Wright.

• Wrightfood — a Brit living in Seattle who does food photography. Food looks damn good, too.
• Matt Wright-Steele — nice documentary photographs.
• Fig Tree Photography — a Matt Wright operating out of Philadelphia.
• Very interesting shots from a Matthew Wright on Flickr.
• Matthew Wright Photography
• Another Matthew Wright Photography
• Matthew S. Wright
• Matt Wright, commercial photographer in the UK.

This is why I always ask for photo credits to be listed as Matthew C. Wright.  Maybe I should’ve taken Danny’s advice and gone by just “Chastain.”

Got laid off this week. Probably gonna be sparse around here again. Bummer.