It's been a while

November 3rd 2011:

Dear god, where has the time gone? August, September and October flew by with no time to spare. Working 7 days a week, close to 80 hours a week leaves little time for blogging, socializing, hell... even eating or showering is a challenge some days.

The tattoo apprenticeship is going good, though I wish I could speed myself along and feel as confident with a tattoo machine in my hand as I do with a pencil or paint brush... but it will come.

Even now, it is difficult to sit still and write anything. No time for thoughts or reflections. I am home sick from work and should be resting, but there is laundry to catch up on, dogs to take care of, neglected art projects, abandoned sewing projects, emails to write, cleaning to do... sigh.

Until next time... just breathe, it will be okay.

On Getting Older

July 17th 2011:

So here it is again, that pesky devil of a day, another notch in the wall of time - my birthday.

It's the day where you get asked, do you feel older?, where comments on your crow's feet and gray hairs (imaginary or real) become acceptable, where the kinder folks say things like, you don't look a day older than 23, or you really look good for your age...

After a certain point, people start tagging that line onto things... for your age. Like, you're thin for your age, your skin is pretty good  for your age, you dress pretty cool for your age, and so on into eternity.

I got the new issue of Vogue in the mail the other day... the "Age Issue", of course...

But, you're only as old as you feel... or is it, you're only as old as you act?

Anyway, enough nonsense... I've got my new boots on (thanks Chrissypoo), my is chin up and I'm off for breakfast and drinks with friends! Happy birthday, indeed.

Dream Birds in my Backyard

July 15th 2011:

Strangeness abounds... some days more than others. I wonder sometimes if dreams are based on reality or if reality sometimes can be based on dreams. Or if there is really a difference between waking reality and dreaming - perhaps they are both equally relevant and true.

I sent this email on July 12th (click to make it bigger):

Yesterday, while on the phone with Kay, I noticed a flash of blue outside the back window. I looked outside and a bright blue bird the size of a small rabbit was sitting in our tree staring at me. I went to grab my camera, and it had moved on to the neighbors yard, but I managed to snap this pic from afar - just to prove I'm not either totally nuts or a huge liar...

The great and powerful internet tells me this was most likely a California Scrub Jay - I have never seen one before today, but it is eerily similar to the giant blue bird of my weird-happy dream. Is this a good omen? Or merely cooincidence?

Who knows...

Independence and All That Jazz

July 4th 2011:

in·de·pend·ence

  [in-di-pen-duhns] 

noun

1.

Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent.

2.

freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

3.

Archaic . a competency.

It is kind of difficult not to feel that the good old Fourth of July is just a bit of a farce. We celebrate our independence from British rule, the rule of the church and the main reason those colonists fought oh so long ago.... freedom from taxation by Great Britain.

Yet here we sit,  in a country where teaching creationism in school is actually up for debate, where you have to stand 20 feet from public doorways to smoke (while carbon-monoxide pumping SUVs blast by - you think that shit isn't screwing your lungs up you self-righteous cough-when-you-pass-a-smoker fuck?), where gay folks can't get married, where you pay through the nose for everything, even good ol' H2O, where corporations rule over all, and where your paychecks hemorrhage money to what, you might ask... TAXES.

They have taxes on everything it seems - anything you buy, on your time and hard work, even on your death. But thank god They can pay for their wars and that new football stadium and their summer vacations; meanwhile, We can't even get decent public heath care or decent public educations. Seriously, light your fireworks and sing "America the Beautiful" if you must, I only hope that at least someone out there thinks about what it is they are celebrating and how far away from the founding fathers' original intentions we have become.

But enough ranting - in other news, I pulled off my first color tattoo yesterday! Today, I made my very first potato salad, sans the direct guidance of Lady Face (though thank you much for emailing your recipe!!), and friends will be over soon to help me devour it, along with veggie burgers and whiskey and beer and whatever else I have hidden about the house.

Hooray for Independence.

Time Time Time

July 2nd 2011:

Time is just flying by of late. I can hardly believe it is already July, and I am only a couple weeks away from that dreaded marker of just how old I am getting - my birthday. Sometimes I wish I could step back and slow things down for a bit, maybe have a minute or two to actually enjoy things, you know?

June was a month of craziness - big changes at work, some important decisions to be made regarding the future, the art bug hit and a painting storm ensued, art went up in Fremont for July, there were shows to attend and friends to catch up with, and the husband jetted off to Canada for a few days, then off on tour... currently I hear he is stuck in traffic outside Las Vegas, fun fun.

The last couple weeks, ones I thought I could use to chill and get some personal time in, have sped by in a whirlwind, leaving me dazed and fuzzy in the head (last night's trip to not one, but four drinking establishments may be a little to blame for the fuzziness, but what can you do?).

My pre-birthday goal this year: to get down to what I weighed when I was 20 - 106 pounds. So far, I have managed to shed 10 pounds (hooray) thanks to a crazy little phone application... that means I only have 4 pounds left to go. I think I just might pull it off!

Now, the dryer is buzzing and Roland is chattering away to let me know it is dinner time... there's an itch in brain to take a real stab at a second novel (I have virtual drawers full of half completed books, those poor wretches), and a friend will be over shortly for a mini- girlie pajamas, wine and movies party.

I'd best get my ass in gear and my act together, because it is already almost 7 pm and time is flying.

So long, old pal

June 16th 2011:

We brought him home on the ferry, a fiery little puppy from the islands. He was the runt of the litter, stumpy legs and giant head and the pissiest little face you have ever seen. It had been love at first site.

He was a challenge, to be sure, this puppy that Chris named Priest, the most strong-willed puppy on the planet. He peed on every square inch of floor in our house, no matter how many times he was let out. At least once a week, we would hear Mama Kay screaming in the early morning hours as she skidded down the hall on a trail of poop (oh how he loved pooping right outside her bedroom door).

He ate countless shoes and socks, a wallet, a hundred dollar bill, snowboarding goggles, a week's worth of sandwich supplies, a box of nicorette, a 12 pack of toilet paper and so on... we won't even mention the time he ate a loaf of bread, bag and all, nor will we mention the ensuing drama caused by the passing of that bag (which had been swallowed whole). He dug the carpet up in front of our door and dug a tunnel from the backyard to the front. He went home with countless joggers, slipped his color and escaped fences, and had to be bailed out of doggy jail two or three times.

But, he was also gentle. A big, huggable bear that would sleep at the end of the bed and dance and chitter in his husky speak when you came home. And he loved his kitties, first Zone, his papa cat, then Oz and Fattie, who he would carry gently in his mouth when they were no bigger than his muzzle.

He to grew up to be a wonderful dog, albeit with some quirks, like eating used tissues from the trash and his "magic tricks" (look, I made your toast disappear!) and his ability to sleep soundly through just about anything.

When the earthquake hit Seattle in 2001, he was the only one in the house (maybe the city) to sleep through it. In 2006, when some punk tried to break into Kay's house in Phoenix, using hedge clippers to pry open a window, he also slept through that, leaving a groggy post-operation me to deal with scaring the bad guy off, only waking to acknowledge the arrive of the police with a disinterested snort from under the kitchen table.

I got an email today, from Mama Kay. The kind of email with a subject line that says "bad news"...

Priest was 12 years old. In Kay's words, "It seems like just yesterday we had this little black and white puppy on the ferry from Bainbridge, how quick 12 years can go by."

No more orca, no more froggy, no more devil dog... Beastie, you will be missed.

No Future?

June 14th 2011:

Do you ever regret the words that come out of your mouth?

Sometimes I want to stop them, but I just can't. Only so many things can go unsaid.

I need to know where I stand.

Don't be told what you want

Don't be told what you need

There's no future, no future,

No future for you

                      - Sex Pistols

Somewhere over the Rainbow

June 13th 2011:

It's funny how life works sometimes. Hills and valleys and those all too common plateaus. It seems like things will be trudging along, same old same old, then all of a sudden, a tornado sweeps through and tears your shit up.

Now, there are good tornadoes (the kind that take you to Oz) and bad tornadoes (the kind that wreck your double-wide), and there's no way of knowing which your getting until it is far too late.

Hopefully the tornado that is currently consuming my world is the ticket to Oz type. I am ready to be swept out of my figurative Kansas blahs and into a fantastical new world.

Only time will tell.

Family, Disney and Long Walks on the Beach

May 23rd 2011:

So, I finally got out of rainy ass Seattle for warmer climates. The hubby and I headed to L.A. on Thursday to meet up with his mama and sister for a few days of sunshine, relaxation and roller coasters, and I have to say, it was both fabulous and much needed.

I realized I spend way too much time and energy stressing on meaningless shit like money, bills and senseless work. I mean, what is the point of all that?

I know, I know... bills have got to be paid, dogs have to be fed... occasionally I need to be fed, but really, I used to get by on so much less and was all the happier for it. There seems to be a tendency in this here land of milk and honey to work yourself to death just to stay afloat. For the most part, the 40 hour work week is just a misery pit designed to suck away your creativity and soul, bit by bit, until there is nothing left but this unrecognizable zombie hell bent on paying the rent and maintaining a death grip on some shitty insurance policy (if you are one of the "lucky" ones who even has an insurance policy).

Chris and I woke up early and wandered down Newport Beach Sunday morning, in search of my house circa 1998/99. They tore the thing down, an awesome old shingled job, two stories with a fireplace downstairs and a sunroom and balcony overlooking the beach upstairs. I couldn't remember the cross street, just that it was north of beach station 40, but it is for the best. I can only imagine was sort of hideous, boxy, "modern" California home they built in its place. Too sad, as that house was the start of it for Chris and I.

It is odd how much things change and how much they stay the same over the course of a decade, isn't it?

Neglect and Other Things Pushed Under the Rug

May 17th 2011:

Oh blog, how have I neglected you! I haven't posted in weeks, it seems... I am behind on my daily photo uploads, a still have an overdue t-shirt design to complete, a book left only three-quarters read, a heap of unfolded laundry still in the dryer, an abandoned art project mess shoved into a closet... the list goes on.

I have been neglecting pretty much everything for the last few weeks.

Maybe it is the schizophrenic weather, the cold, the gray, the damp punctuated here and there by a few random hours of sun? Maybe it is the constant scrabbling for money to cover the bills and keep the dogs fed? Maybe it is just plain old boredom?

Who know? Who cares?

What matters is, that I need to get my head screwed on right and get back to freaking work already... just not today.

Heading to Los Angeles for the weekend to get some sun, to breath in some ocean air, to relax and try to remember that life is meant to be enjoyed.

After that... well. who knows?

Tolerance is Overrated

April 26th 2011:

Today I learned that dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together as recent as two thousand years ago, which, of course, explains the appearance of dragon-things in the bible. The proof of this... stories about knights slaying dragons, obviously, duh. Also, I learned that there are still dinosaurs living with us today... AND, the average size of an animal is roughly the same size as a sheep, so that is how every animal on earth fit into Noah's ark, AND, Noah also had a T-REX or two on board, AND the reason the salt water from the ocean didn't kill the plants was because the ocean wasn't "stirred up" prior to the great flood, so all that salt was thankfully resting benignly at the bottom of the sea (the offered proof of this: when you pour sugar into coffee and don't stir it, the sugar stays at the bottom... again, duh).

Where did I learn such wonderful "facts" you ask? Why, the FAQ page on creationism.org!!

And why was I on this site? Well, I was looking for cool biblical images for some art reference and it just happened to have the most awesomely creepy collection of images of the "true events" of the bible.

Here is a quick sample of all the extremely factual things that happened in bible as documented by some awesomely demented artist of yore... Enjoy!!

Sunday Morning is Every Day For All I Care, and I'm Not Scared

April 24th 2011:

Easter is a holiday for children and religious folks... as I am neither (and have no children, unless you count the wolves), I celebrated the holiday with an "Iron Range" breakfast - eggs, toast, tater tots and a can of Hamm's - at Zayda Buddies, then the old gang reunited for a trip to EMP for the Nirvana exhibit.

It is an odd feeling, seeing a large part of your teen years on display in glass cases, relics from a time that is no more. It felt kind of like having my childhood slaughtered, and its bloody pieces spread out for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Okay, maybe that is a little over-dramatic, but you get the point. It was a painful sort of nostalgia, seeing all those Nirvana relics behind their plexi-glass windows. Not that Nirvana, as much as I loved them, was the end-all-be-all of 90's rock bands, but more remembering that there was a time when "alternative" music thrived, and local scenes thrived, and people went to shows because it was fun and they were friends (actual friends, I mean, not the awkward hipster "do you have anything I need or want right now? No? I gotta jet" sort of friends), and the majority of indie/underground bands weren't trying to write music that would play well to a car or cell phone ad (I mean, come on, the thought of selling a song for a commercial was sacrilegious back in the day).

But, sigh, things change... I do hope that there is a future generation of kids out there buying guitars and playing rock music because it is rebellious and meaningful and beautiful, not because it could get them an energy drink sponsorship, a slot on Warped Tour and 15 minutes of fame.

That's not too much to hope for, is it?

WWI Aircraft and Weekends the Fly By

April 17th 2011:

Haven't posted in a while... seems I have been staying crazy busy lately. This weekend was pretty ok, all in all. I Started painting a new dining set, which should be finished later this week, worked on some drawings, did a tattoo of a WWI Nieuport Airplane - Eddie Rickenbacker style. This one was super challenging. Lots of detail to put into a tiny space. We will be adding the Red Baron's Fokker Triplane at a later date.

Took a time out Saturday to see Scream 4 - sadly, there's not much to say about it. It was alright... it really pointed out how good the first Scream was. Afterward, to King's for drinks and friend time.

Ghost House Furnishings

April 11th 2011:

Launched a new blog today, strictly for my hand-painted furniture. I like the idea of art with a purpose, or functional items as art. Why just have a sad, brown table (yawn) when you could have, literally, anything, painted on that table?

I just finished some alternative baby furniture - not your usual pastel pinks and blues stuff, and I have two dining sets to get started on.

You can check it out here, if you're interested:

Enter the Ghost House

Marty Feldman Tattoo!

April 6th 2011:

New supplies are in and back to work! Decided to try out bug pins... I think I am in love.

Started work on a Marty Feldman portrait last night... I have to say, I was super stoked to do this one, I mean, what a great face! I'll post the finished piece in a few weeks. For now, here it is in progress...

April Fool

April 1st 2011:

So April is here, and so are those stupid showers... can we please skip it and get to the May flowers part? Oh well, whatever...

Rough day at the old office - web-dev humor is not for the masses, something I learned call after call today when an error message that read "Come on! Really?" was launched on the online order form... funny maybe if you are twitter or facebook or something, not really online pharma appropriate. I was already burned out, and that put the nail in the coffin for the week - boy am I ready to bury this chapter in my life, you know?

So, this weekend I was planning on doing some garage saling, see if I can find any interesting furniture pieces I could artify... we'll see how that goes, steady rain and yard sales are not really conducive, but hey, it's Seattle, we yard sale no matter what the weather...

Okay, so this post is hella boring... time of death, 7:51pm

F*@K My Life

March 30th 2011:

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? This pretty much sums it up.

Drain You

March 29th 2011:

I have really been slacking on, well, everything the last week or so. I'm way behind on so many projects it's ridiculous and kind of overwhelming at this point.

Today, I have no words. What a drain.

All Tomorrow's Parties

March 27th 2011:

Sunday nights always a feel a little like death lately... the show's over, the party's ended, time to get back to that gray-ass reality life tends to suck you into if you don't watch your step.

I got nothing left to say, take it away Nico...

And what costume shall the poor girl wear

To all tomorrow's parties

A hand-me-down dress from who knows where

To all tomorrow's parties

And where will she go and what shall she do

When midnight comes around

She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown

And cry behind the door

Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties

I Got Sucker Punched

March 25th 2011:

What do evil step dads, giant samurais, undead steam-punk Nazis, orphan whores, dragons, killer robots and lobotomies all have in common?

Don't expect Sucker Punch to answer that question. And honestly, is that really a question that needs asking, let alone answering?

An incoherent, plotless foray into a world suited only for the most vapid of teenage minds, Sucker Punch managed to borrow from a half dozen other movies (Inception, Shutter Island, Girl Interrupted, the Matrix, Sin City to name a few) and pack every wanna-be-hipster-geek element into what basically amounted to crappy a two hour music video.

The only thing I got out of watching this movie was that writer/director Zack Snyder LOVES the slow-mo action scene (yeah, that never gets monotonous... yawn) and has a fetish for hot young things in slutty school girl/sailor girl outfits.

There was a sad attempt to provide some sort of a point via a flaccid voice over at the end of the flick, but it just left me asking one question... who wants their two hours back?

Me!

The Kurt V Bomb

March 23rd 2011:

In the wise words of Miss Scarlett O'Hara, "Fiddle-dee-dee."

My homage to Kurt Vonnegut, goodbye blue Monday!

The theme for today, fuck it.

I purchased a new liner machine with my last hundred bucks, and celebrated by giving myself this tattoo. I am over the monday-woes, all eyes are on the future... time for some changes

Boring

March 21st 2011:
Waiting sucks.
It makes me itchy
and bored
and tired.

Mondays also suck.
They feel like waiting.

I am ready to leave now.

P.S. This is my grandpa Jake in his navy uniform in 1942, it makes me happy.

Paranoia & Bad Movies

March 18th 2011:
Argh. Ever puke so hard you pop a blood vessel in your eyeball?

In other news, Papa Paranoid called the other day and asked me to make an "escape plan" for when the tsunami-earthquake-volcano trifecta inevitably hits Seattle.

I say inevitably with a large grain of salt.

And were that to happen, would there be anywhere to go? Pops suggested running for Canada. Unless Mother Nature were to kindly wait until the weekend (or weekdays after 4pm, please) to throw such an epic tizzy-fit, I doubt I would even make it out of downtown, let alone all the way to Canada (because nothing bad ever happens in Canada, right?).

Maybe we could hide out in the public library and burn books for warmth until my paleoclimatologist dad sends the blackhawk helicopters out to save me and my friends... um, hang on, that was just a terrible-ish movie.

Revision...

I will give John Cusak a ring and ask him to fly my ass out of here on a stolen Cessna, so I can sneak onto the giant arcs the rich people are building in the mountains... oh wait... that was just a really terrible movie....

Revision...

I will stay where I am and wait for Jesus to come and deem me righteous (no Lake of Fire, please), and therefore save me from the disaster that surely means the end of the word, so I can gather in the air with all the other righteous folks for the Rapture... or , errr.... that's just a story in an old ass book...

Man, we do love glorifying disaster, don't we? I mean, as long as it doesn't actually affect us.

Fatal Ennui

March 16th 2011:
Is it possible to die of boredom?

If so, my condition might be critical.

Sleepyhead

March 15th 2011:

So unbelievably tired today. I was late getting into bed last night for reasons too mundane to comment on (damn you crap TV), and for some ungodly reason, my eyes popped open at 4:45am, a mere 4 hours and 45 minutes after I got to bed.

I tried to fall back asleep. I did breathing exercises, I counted to a thousand, I tossed and turned, trying to find a more comfortable spot on our old, sunken mattress... to no avail. There was no reason to be up. I just was.

Now, I am feeling it so hard. It was nice for a week to walk to the bus in the light. Thank you daylight savings for relinquishing me back to the morning darkness and adding to the tiredness of the day.

Spring, can you hurry up and get here already? I could use some sun, and the weird rose tree in my backyard seems to think it is time.

Notes for tonight: no coffee after dark, do not start any new art projects that, left unfinished, will cause me to fret and think all night, remake the bed to avoid "blanket strangulation" and have a chat with the dogs about sleeping in their own beds, not mine.

3 Days in .5 Seconds

March 14th 2011:

Man, the weekend flew by... so glad I had today off.

The highlights: McKnight & Liz came to stay for the weekend, bringing new stuffie toys for the dogs (B & R say thanks). Saturday it was the Cha Cha for Eric's B-Day, then across the street to the Comet for Helms Alee. Home by 2am, just in time for daylight savings to switch over. That lost hour is so hateful. Sunday, breakfast at Senior Moose, a trip to the record store and a couple great finds (Repo Man Soundtrack on vinyl & a used copy of Charles Peterson's photo book, Screaming Life), home for a bit, then back out to Zayda's for tater tots and Minnesota Pops.

Makes me wish I had more time. So many trips I need to take and friends I don't see anywhere near enough of.

P.S. How freaked out was I when I heard about the tsunami in Japan on Friday? Seriously, exactly a week from that horrible nightmare I had. I spent the entire day paranoid that downtown Settle would be wiped out next. I can be so ridiculous sometimes.

Drip, drip, drip....

March 9th 2011:

The toilet is leaking, the roof is leaking... fingers crossed that the landlord actually fixes it today... it's been about a month on the toilet issue and over a year on the leaking roof. Seattle doesn't have the best renters laws, but man, I think a watertight roof clause is in there somewhere. Everytime we report a leak in the roof (and I mean not just a drip, but light fixtures filling with water and pots and pans filling with the water they are set out to catch), the landlord comes over and hammers another blue tarp to the roof.

Oh yes, we are that house in the neighborhood. I am sure our uptight condo-dwelling neighbors love it.

Alas. Sometimes I just look around at my life and think, "Really? This is it?"

Tsunami Time Bomb

March 7th 2011:

Not much time for blogging the last few days... tattoos to do, paintings to work on, shows to attend, friends to catch up with and so forth.

I had a horrible dream Friday night... the kind where you wake up in cold sweats, heart thumping, blood racing. I was on vacation somewhere in the south end of Florida with friends and family. We were staying at this old, wooden place built on a pier. I can still remember how it smelled, that dampness in the air, the heat of the sun. We were at the bar/restaurant on the lower level, everyone was scattered, smoking, ordering drinks, waiting for food to arrive. I went out to have a smoke and noticed the water. It was moving in a way no ocean should ever move. It would rise slowly, higher and higher, then drop suddenly, like the bottom had fallen out from under it. A Waiter or busboy walked by, told me the tides had been acting strange for three months. I started to worry, a sense of dread creeping in. I was thinking we should pack up and leave, something bad was going to happen. Somewhere, a man screamed. "Tidal wave!" I looked up to see a huge wall of water. My body told me to run, my brain told me to find my sisters, my mom, my husband and friends. People start screaming I love yous and goodbyes. Chris runs up to me and takes my hand. "There's nowhere to go anyway," he says. "Are you ready?"

This damn dream has stuck with me. Every detail. Now I feel like I am wasting time. What am I doing with my life? If a wave came and washed me away, what would I have left behind?

**P.S. Dream interpreters say dreaming of a tidal wave or tsunami represent an overwhelming emotional issue that demands attention ASAP/negative feelings have been bottled up too long/sadness & emotional stress in waking life... sounds about right.

Franken-tat

March 4th 2011:

Oh, glorious Friday! I wish I wasn't greeting you with a hangover and tacobell tummy... damn you tacobell, for having your drive-through open at 1am and for being so close to my humble abode. And damn you beer, for being so drinkable and for impairing my judgment and compelling me to scarf down a bean burrito and fiesta potatoes when I should have been tucked in bed and fast asleep.

That said, it was nice to go out, see some friends I rarely get to see and watch my lady of the People Eating People do what she does best. It totally sucks being the person that misses everything because I have to be in bed by 10:30 5 days of the week.

Stopped by ye' olde tattoo shop yesterday, was loaned a liner machine to try out - so stoked to give it a go. Perhaps tonight (after a lengthy nap) I'll do some work on my thigh...

**totally forgot to post this Friday... brain farted and hit save rather than publish... but here's the tattoo I did on Saturday.

Work in Progress

March 1st 2011:

March already? Jesus, time flies.

I've been obsessing about time, or more, the passage of time, lately. Maybe it's a product of having been in one place for so long, or it could be a result of the dreary ass Seattle winter, but I am really feeling every minute go by lately. It's rather suffocating, like all the air is slowly being sucked from the room, until eventually, there will be nothing.

It's just seems so damn wasteful. You know? There are better things I could contribute to this world than today's spreadsheet and the colorful little graphs illustrating nothing. At least I hope there is.

I am really getting into tattooing. It's a rush to do it, alter someone's body permanently. So stressful, that kind of responsibility, especially in the learning stages... so far I haven't given anyone anything that will end up one of those "worst tattoo" sites (knock on wood). The pic is of tattoo number 7, which is half done. Once the hair is shaded out and everything is fine-tuned, it's gonna be wicked cool.

Tattoo Weekend

February 27 2011:

Man , it was a weekend of tattoos... now I have to live with two half done pieces walking around. I guess it's a good thing it's like 2 degrees out and they'll be hidden beneath layers of winter clothes. In 2-3 weeks, a zombie portrait and a WWI plane will be complete, hooray!

I really wish I could get a new liner, mine kinda blows, but I guess that's part of the supreme joy of getting started... someday, I'll get the machine I have my eye on... soon I hope.

Happy Sixty Dad!!

February 24th 2011:
My pops turns 60 today! The big six-oh... crazy.

Too bad there's not a pause button on life. It'd be nice to be able to put all the BS on hold for a bit and go do the things that are actually important, like catch up with family.

As much as I loathe Phoenix, AZ as a city, it would be nice to have a little time to get down there and see everyone... I know October was only four months ago, but it already seems like an eternity has passed.

Plus, I could go for some sun right about now. This whole freezing cold, randomly snowing thing kinda blows.

Revolución in Progress

February 22nd 2011:

Hard at work. It's nice to be painting again. It had been so long, I was actually nervous to start this series of paintings. But as they say, it's just like riding a bike, you never forget how, and man does it feel good when you get up and start pedaling your ass off.

It's All In the Details

February 21st 2011:

The only good thing about this Monday... I think I fixed her face.

Other than that, the bus blew by my stop this morning, so I had to jog 6 blocks to catch another bus to work, then the bus home just never came... a freezing, windy hour later, one finally showed up. Got home late, took the trash out, started the laundry, fed the dogs, fed myself, painted, showered, watched Roland freak out at the hail, and then painted some more.

Wet Paint

February 20th 2011:

Sunday morning, up early, painted a little something...

Twister

February 18th 2011:

Friday, at last. Thank god. I've barely been scraping through this week; between the fever, a trip to the doctor, random hail storms and sheer exhaustion, this week has been tough.

Starting to feel better now, though, so I plan to make the most of the weekend. Started a little early, with Jessica and a bottle of wine last night. Good times... it's hard when you can't see the people you love as much as you'd like, but I guess it makes it all the sweeter when we can match up schedules and locations to get together.

Tonight, the Rendezvous to watch my dude's band, Curse of the North, play some ripping metal and what have you.

Stoked.

We've Come to Suck Your Blood

February 16th 2011:

I swear to god, this is the last day I will be sick. I don't have time for this... what an energy suck. I had to go to the dreaded doctor today, and while I was there, why not get some blood work done? Oh joy. Other than that, today I wandered the house, did a couple reports for work, and watched a ridiculous and embarrassing amount of reality TV.

Shame on me.

Back on Track?

February 15th 2011

Haven't really blogged in a few days. Been kind of out of it, apparently for a while. I just noticed that I had been labeling everything this month as January, rather than February... like January was so awesome I wanted to do it all over again. Duh.

I guess that's what happens when you just can't sleep. After a while, everything gets all blurred together. Been sick as hell the last couple days, all fevery and shit... no fun, but on the upside, it knocked me on my ass, and I have gotten my first solid sleep in months.

I also took some time to work on some art projects I'd been thinking about for a while, but just had no time at all to do. Have 8 paintings in various stages of completion, plus I've been drawing a lot... I usually don't have the patience for pencil drawings, but lately, they have been very calming. Almost a zen thing. Crazy.

Happy VD

February 14th 2011:

Happy Valentine's Day....

and...

4 month anniversary...

and...

still happily married (heehee)...

and...

11 year anniversary,

but it doesn't really count anymore, now that we are starting from zero

again...

Still Thinking of L.A.

February 10th 2011:

Uh-oh. I seriously have that itch... the roving bug. This is the longest I have been in one place since I was 18... I love Seattle and all, but the cold isn't helping.

I had a dream I walking the dogs down Venice Beach, grabbed a couple tacos, then some ice cream. The sun was shining, the sand was warm... it was a good dream.

Woke up to frozen grass, frozen cars, frozen sidewalks... the sun came out for a minute, I thought I could die of joy. How long til summer?