Some more sketches

These are sketches from various locations.






This is a pier/ building I was on in a dream. It stood out alone in the middle of an ocean. Below it is a computer rendering I created.





This is a pool on the cruise ship I took around Italy last year.






My sister's living room last Christmas.





Elephant holding area at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.



Hotel room in Chicago.



Hot springs in Colorado.




Jessica's doll house that my father built.




Mountains and a bridge near Dubrovnik Croatia.

Terminal Illness

I like to take advantage of the waiting I have to do in the airport or on an airplane. Here are some sketches from my travel sketchbook.

Back in the Water

Back to the gym for a swim. I want to form a habit of going. It really doesn't take a long time, and honestly I feel so much better afterwards. I am thinking of different things to paint. I cannot seem to come with a definitive idea.



Madame Gautreau - John Singer Sargent

Advice

"We should be especially careful in giving advice that we would not think of following ourselves." - Some random quote I found online

In giving some advice today, I realized that I, myself need to be following it. Yesterday morning, I laid in bed wishing my headache to go away. Staring at the ceiling, I began replaying this past year through my mind. What progress have I made in a year? Well, none. Its a bad answer, but its the honest one. I am terrible when it comes to discipline lately. Today, I cleaned the house, cleared out my workspace in the garage (and even painted a bit), and I went swimming at the gym. Will I be able to keep to the plan tomorrow. I guess that remains to be seen.

Here is a list of things to complete:

- Paint/ Draw (there is no deadline, I just need to do it more often)
- Rotate my tires, change my oil, and wash the Mini (by next weekend)
- Repair my carb and get my 442 running (by Feb)
- Put my 2nd shelf up in my room (by Dec)
- Paint Johnna's phone case (by XMas)
- Finish painting my cabinet thing for my shot glasses (by Jan)

Strain

Our Bodies was a great exhibit. It was amazing to see inside of the human form and really view it as a system. I wish I'd thought to bring a sketch book. Anyways, everything seems to be in order. Hopefully, my back will feel even better tomorrow. My lower back is tight once again. I am really looking forward to the party on Friday. Still no sign of my costume though.

I'll schedule it in...

A lot has been going on this week. The Halloween party is scheduled for this Friday. Hopefully my costume makes it here from Singapore soon. Tomorrow I am going to the Bodies exhibit at the Science Center. Should be really interesting. I got to stop by Uberbot and see the Phil Noto artwork today. I also picked up his sketch book. I am a sucker for art books. I went out Wednesday night and last night. I have been feeling really good lately.

We are your friends!

Better than

I have been in a really good mood the past few days. I was pretty stressed out last week. I guess my weekend was restful. I got to talk to chat with a friend I'd been thinking a lot about recently. I was down a bit going in to the weekend. I had been thinking about how this time last year there was so much going on. And Halloween being two weeks away made me remember exactly what I was doing a year ago. I feel like this year has been unremarkable. I know, its not over yet. The heat starting to drop off is great. That is one thing that always brings up my spirit. I'd felt extremely apathetic lately. There wasn't much to change it.
Hopefully, I won't fall into my general malaise. I went swimming today, and the plan is to just keep going. I ordered my Halloween costume. Its nice to stop wondering what I am going to do for a costume. My new favorite thing is Assassin's Creed. I had seen the trailer a while ago, but I have really taken to the style of it. I also really like the UNKLE song that is used. Things like this game make me wonder why I waste technical writing when I could be creating cool games or videos. Here is the trailer.

Racking my brain out!

I can learn to do almost anything. I am pretty fast at picking up new things. I just get uncomfortable when I am not sure what I should be doing. I am coming up with some estimates at work for some books. I am not all that familiar what these books need to contain. I hate going in and asking my boss questions, I don't want him to not have confidence in my ability. I was glad to hear him say that he was expecting me to have a lot of questions. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I borrowed the Venture Bros. from Mortality. Its such a great show. I'll have to borrow season II soon.




"That's my thing. That's what I do..."

Raised

My meeting with my functional went well today. I wasn't sure what to expect, I was just told it was "good news." Good news indeed. The nice thing is I am still eligible for my increase in February.

Danae - Gustav Klimt 1907

28 Years Later

Does it matter how old I get or what experiences I encounter in life? It seems like whether or not you do all of those things you're supposed to do (pay your taxes, stop at red lights, help little old ladies cross the street), you still get dicked over. Everything becomes such a pain in the ass. Your car gets hit by someone not paying attention. It still costs you money, your car will never be repaired to the same state it was in, and you have to go around without a car for however long it takes. Same thing with these expense reports for work. They're supposed to be easy. I feel like the admins should be there to pull you out of the water when you can't catch your breath. Instead, it seems like they are there to stand on your head. I feel like no matter what decisions I make, right or wrong, I never catch up, nevermind getting ahead. And so 28 years later... am I better or worse off. I feel like I am working my way backwards.

Finally Home

Traveling is finally slowing down. I feel like I got to reflect a bit as I was traveling around by myself. The world seems smaller and smaller every time I set foot in a brand new city. This trip to Virginia gave me the opportunity to see a whole slew of aircraft. It was a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

So, it's my first day back in the office and I find all of my stuff has been shoved to the side and I now have a 4th cubemate. What the hell? Isn't it already a sardine can without the Orca? Anyway, my Virginia trip got pushed back a day. Now I have to be up at 3 a.m.

California

It is good to be back. California was fun but chaotic. It was definitely interesting out in the desert. The interview seemed to go really well. We'll see what happens. The desert pics are of Palmdale. The beach pics are from Hermosa Beach.

Pain in my ass

Never thought I'd say it, I am missing Orlando a bit. Its quite frustrating being in a different city and not knowing where you are going or where to even go. I am sure there is a ton of cool places to see. If you can find a parking space. One that you won't end up paying a $45 or $70 ticket in. Fucking parking Nazi sons-of-bitches. Way to be exclusive. The people that have permits to park are the ones that can pay the parking fines without batting a false eyelash. And what does Los Angeles have that Orlando doesn't? Don't get me wrong, its not like I've got a lot of love for O-Town. They're are just as many people trying to look cool in Orlando. Its on a smaller scale, but at least you can park, or drive without being cut off. And don't tell me that they have cool stores with clothes that you just can't get anywhere else. You can buy almost anything online nowadays. I am looking forward to being home for a day and a half.

Ft. Worth

I went to fort worth for a work consortium. I wasn't sure what to expect. I actually had a great time. Not only did I get to be there for the birth of my niece (I'll write about the story when I get a chance), but I also enjoyed the city itself. I really enjoyed the Ron Mueck exhibit at the Modern, and the Star Wars exhibit was really cool too. Here are a bunch of pics.

Reconstruction

This is my last weekend before I start flying all over the country. I decided to take a few minutes and rebuild my fallen Gorillaz statues (i.e. super glue Murdoch's head back on, and drill out Noodles hip to insert a metal pin for reinforcement). They sure are fragile for being so pricey, and they're only vinyl for crying out loud. But they're super badass, so I can understand. I bought a shelf for my wall to place them on, but I don't know how soon I'll be moving. I feel good about these upcoming weeks. I guess I had better get swimming soon. Strange, but it is really nice out today. I was in the yard with the doggies, and it wasn't too hot. Maya kept wanting to go out and lay in the sun. I guess I need to get out of the house for a bit.

Rearranged

Today my schedule got changed around again. I haven't heard any more about the interview in California. It should be less than two weeks away. I'll track someone down tomorrow. Tonight I got to play cards with my friends. Its been a while. Hopefully, I'll get to see my sister next week. It looks like I'm off to Ft. Worth now.

Self Imprisonment

This morning, I dreamed I was living in a large city. I was in this cramped and crowded apt. building. It was tough squeezing past all of the bodies of the people standing in the narrow hallways. At some point, two people grabbed me and dragged me away. I found myself in a prison. It was homemade, as if some one had converted their apartment into a cage. It was several stories above the street level. Somehow, I'd found out that a close friend of mine was being held in similar confinement in an apt. above me. I Looked all around for a way to escape. I realized that the screws holding the bars into the walls were not tightened at all. I could simply loosen them with my fingers. I thought it was odd, but knew it was my way out. I just had to wait for the right time to slip out when no one would notice.

While looking out the window to the busy street below, I noticed my friend (who was supposedly captured above me) was walking around on the street. I wondered how he had managed to escape. I tried to call out to warn him. He didn't hear, but he didn't seem nervous either. Later on, They put a girl in the prison along with me. I was ready to escape, but was hesitant to leave her behind. I realized I had to worry about myself and could not allow myself to be trapped in the bad situation.

I woke up and contemplated it a bit. I realized that the prison was self-made. That I knew I could escape from it, but hesitated. Maybe because I was uncertain of what would happen to me if I made it out? Maybe I was just comfortable where I was? In the dream, the prison was not really capable of keeping me in, except for that I decided to wait there. I could have easily let myself out, so it was only me holding myself back.

Tired

Tonight I am just tired. This past month has been a mixture of good and bad stresses. I am excited of the possibility of traveling all over the country, I like the added responsibility of handling multiple tasks at a time. Honestly, I haven't had a chance to get excited or nervous about this upcoming interview. I keep telling myself I will make the difficult decisions when they are in front of me. When the materialize, it is not worth pondering vaporous prospects. Certainly, my decisions in the near future will impact my life.

Lately, I feel like everything I touch falls to pieces. I have two cars that don't run right now. I realize the accident was not my fault. But my Mini isn't exactly tip-top now is it? Is it because I don't take care of my possessions. Partly. Jennr is limping around the house, shitting on the floor. Will screaming and yelling help the situation. It could. I just never take the initiative to solve the problem. Is it worth expending the energy? Maybe thats why I find myself in the same situations. My unstirable apathy. What does it take to get me to care? I haven't found it yet. I am completely the opposite when it comes to my career. I have no hesitation speaking up and interjecting my opinion. I don't mind taking charge in order to correct a problem. Then again, I could inspect the Mini everyday, bumper to bumper. Could I keep it from breaking down? Not always. It does not mean that I can control the fates.

Franz Ferdinand?

This cold is killing me. I went to bed around 11 last night. I woke up this morning feeling like shit. Went back to sleep and finally got out of bed at 3 this afternoon. I woke up several times throughout the day. Every time I did, this Franz Ferdinand lyric was echoing around in my head:

I charm you and tell you of the boys I hate
All the girls I hate
All the words I hate
All the clothes I hate
How I'll never be anything I hate

Acute viral nasopharyngitis

A.k.a. the common cold. I feel like crap today. I have been having a bit of trouble breathing this week. I guess this must be why. Today I went out on Lake Pickett with a bunch of friends. Its a great way to spend the afternoon. I found my copy of Modern Man In Search if A Soul (I bought it back in college, but never made it through). I think I will start reading it again and see how it goes. Here are some more figure drawings from the past couple of weeks. I am making a concerted to include some of the features of the head and face. Twenty minutes is not a lot of time, but I have found that I am drawing faster.

Why not smell like a hospital all of the time?

Mori was complaining that someone she knows smells like a hospital. We were joking that her perfume must be eR1. So, I threw this pic together for her.

Black T Shirt

This morning I dreamed that I went to lunch with the usual work group. We stopped at this park where all these people were gathered. We went down to some merch booths and I saw there were tents and stuff set up. I saw a big white tent standing out in the middle of a wide open space. When I got to it, I saw it was a Hot Topic tent. I glanced over and saw a black t-shirt I really wanted. Then someone told me I should check out the stuff inside. I saw there was a bunch of Shaun of the dead shirts. I couldn't find the shirt I wanted. I could not remember what I was looking for. The guy at the counter told me to look through the catalogue. I saw the shirt and recognized it immediately. It was a black shirt with the display from a helicopter saying "You Are Here."

Bang the Mini!

It finally happened. I was rear-ended on my way home. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I was pushed into the car in front of me. My rear bumper and trunk are smashed. My hood is dented and my front bumper looks like the paint has a bunch cracks. The car doesn't start either. Rumor has it that there may be a fail-safe switch. Thanks Mini, I can't think of any reason I might ever want to drive away from an accident... I don't understand the purpose of it. Damn it, that car is cursed!!! I was supposed to be in Virginia! The best part is, the guy at fault left because he had paid $700 to meet Beyonce. His brother showed up, and he took his brother's car and left his brother with us. The damn community officer was a bitch. She said it took her an hour to get there because we gave her the wrong location. How many Lynx terminals are there???!!! Only one dumb ass. I know exactly where I am located, because I sat there for over an hour. My car got hit so hard, it knocked the letters and numbers right off of the tag...


Update:

I spoke to Mini and asked why the car won't start. The geniuses that built the car, designed it so the motor shuts off automatically when it senses a collision. Seems like a good idea. Except, they designed the cut-off switch as part of the cable that runs from the battery to the motor. Now they want $613 to replace the cable. Why not just build the system to reset? Oh, because they couldn't charge $613 to replace it each time if they did that. I'm glad someone else's insurance is dealing with it.