the embedded smoke is getting to me

Tried to upload some photos, but they are too big I suppose.

AH! Today was full of walking. Seven, eight hours on our feet. We had some breaks for food.

Mom woke up at 8am and went to get coffee and brought back an orange juice and apple crawler for me, for when I eventually got up. I showered at 10, consumer my breakfast, did the Internet thing. Then at 11:20ish, we set out for our day on the Strip!

We took the tram over to the Excalibur and descended into the MGM Grand. Or err...well we went under the hotels, and once you go under the hotels, they all connect. We went under the Manderlay and the THE Hotel. Kept walking till we arrived at the Shark Reef Aquarium. First adventure of the day. It was a lovely aquarium. It had very big tanks with tons of sharks and other fish. Even a turtle! There was a jellyfish tank, and a horseshoe crab touch tank. It was fun.

After that, we wandered through the underground network. The allowed cigarette smoke got to me, and I feel a bit ill right now from it. I'm just not used to it. Don't know any smokers. Mom and I got some of that frozen yogurt, the self serve kind where you put your own toppings on. I went for candy, nuts, candy, cheesecake bits, and more candy. Mom went for fruit (she also had a greater variety of the yogurt). Yummy snack!

From there, we worked our way back through the MGM Grand, and exited on to the strip. Daylight! It was windy, but generally nice. We got dad a Las Vegas Hard Rock pin. It isn't a Gibson pin, but mom says he needs some variety in his collection. We'll let dad decide if he does, I suppose. We wandered around the Bellagio for half an hour. It had the nicest hotel interior of the ones we went into. New York, New York once you enter it, is just dingey and lame and just...uhg. Bellagio is nice all around, and has some pretty exhibits. We waited outside to see the half hourly fountain show, and it was nice. It was set to the tune of This Song by Elton John. From there, we walked past Caesar's Palace. My anxiety levels were pretty good. As in, I wasn't that anxious at all. There were crowds, but all was well. We ended up not going to see a show. We were pretty tired, and it seemed like shows were selling out. We ate a late lunch at McDonald's. Good old comfort fast food. The plan at the time was to hang out in the Flamingo courtyard, then go to Treasure Island and see the Siren's Show, then go back to the hotel. The courtyard was neat, and the flamingo's sure were pink. And there were some other lovely birds. I hoped the hotel would have a cool flamingo shirt design, but they didn't.

Just in time, we got to the Siren's Song stage at Treasure Island. Or so we thought we were just in time...turns out we were two hours early! The guide to Las Vegas said that there would be a 5:30 show, but that was a misprinted lie. We decided to return to our hotel. That meant going to the monorail, which required backtracking and going through Harrah's. There was a nice Londoner in the station that we chatted with a bit. I took her picture for her. The monorail dropped us off at the MGM Grand, so we walked through that AGAIN, and walked to and through New York, New York, and the Excalibur, and an hour and twenty minutes worth of travel from Treasure Island later, we got back to our hotel room.

Oh so very tired and tuckered out. Once we started sitting and laying in bed, it was clear we were done for the day. I watched Walking Dead and proclaimed loudly when Michonne was introduced. LOVE HER! And she came out of nowhere, which was awesome.

Now we are tucking in to bed. We have to check out by 11 tomorrow. I want to see what the Luxor gift shop has to offer. Need to get me a sticker and maybe a shirt, if they have a good design. Then we check out, go to the airport, pick up our rental car, and out we go to see some nature. Awww yeah, nature baby! I love it.

Vegas Baby!

March 17th

4:00am

We arrived with the two hours to spare. Unfortunately, the Virgin America desk doesn't open till 4:45am. A little too early. So now we sit and wait. It was a rainy drive, and I lagged in terms of speed because of it, but at 3:00am there is not much in the way of traffic, so that was okay. Took no time at all to arrive at the airport. Early flights have their perks. And my driving was excellent. Go me!

9:50am

The plane departed from an S gate a little bit after schedule, due to the gate being changed. This is my first time on a Virgin America flight. I am normally on Alaska flights. The interior was illuminated in pink and the seats were black. It was quite swanky. I napped for the majority of the hour and forty minutes flight, waking only to pop my ears.The lady seated at the window was on her way to see her sister, who was birthing out the first grandkid in the family. She asked if she could scoot past us when we landed and I said, "of course, there is a baby on the way!" and she replied "there is a baby on the way!" and squeezed her way towards the front of the plane. That was nice.

I am properly tired, though now that it is shifting into the afternoon, my body rhythms are kicking in. Hopefully I'll nap more on the flight to Las Vegas. We wandered around our part of the terminal and then settled down at 51A. Mom got a scramble and a burger from a restaurant and we chowed down.

8:16 pm

Ahhh what a long day! The San Francisco airport was full of healthy food chains and not a single quality coffee place. This was something that disappointed mom, who ended up with a very subpar cappuccino. Anyway, we were not seated together for the flight to Las Vegas, but as I spent the flight napping, that wasn't such a big deal.

The airport in Las Vegas was very beige and dull and a little bit old fashionedy. For a place as well known as Vegas, I was surprised that there wasn't more hooplah. Mom's bag was one of the first on the belt, so that was good. We hopped on a shuttle bus, and it took all those on board to various Vegas Strip Hotels. In the daylight, Vegas is very flat and barren looking. So artificial and constructed. I'm looking forward to getting out of here and heading for the Grand Canyon. The New York New York hotel complex was very impressive.

My mind can't quite take these types of places. Inside the Luxor, it was hollow. The pyramid structure acts as a sort of shell for all that inside of it. The pyramid is a single layer of rooms, with slanted windows. Our room is on the 17th floor, and we have a good overhead view of all the self contained this and that. There is that Bodies exhibit, a Titanic showcase, many Starbucks, a McDonalds, a casino, nice restaurants, a chapel, several auditoriums, and many other things. All contained in this pyramid. One probably could enjoy all sorts of entertainment without having to leave the Luxor. This isn't my kind of place. Okay I shouldn't complain too much because I'm getting a free vacation and all that, but this level of artificiality is very foreign to me. And it makes me very anxious, all though I was also very tired. I am very tired. I like nature, and windows, and sky, and color.

Anyway, it is also Saint Patrick's Day, so there are tons of people in green regalia getting drunk at 3 in the afternoon. I'm unused to both people having open containers and being able to smoke inside. The hotel is actually not all that noisy. I was expecting it to be louder, what with the revelers. I've heard some whoooing, but not that much.

We got a late lunch/early dinner at a cheesesteak place, and I gobbled it down while watching the end of Die Hard 2. Then we took a nap. I'm going to try and figure out how to get on WiFi. Okay so there isn't wifi, but a cord, but that is okay. Going to fart around on the Internet and then go back to sleep

Nevada and Arizona, here we come!

And away we go! In three hours...but first the rest of the day.

Slept in decently well. Had some cheerios and tea. Helped Dad wash Holly in the tub. The indoors tub! What a spoiled dog. Now she smells like a clean dog, and is oh so soft to cuddle. Really washing her isn't that bad, and it doesn't take that long. And it makes her such a good dog.

Dad went over to Mats Mats and ran errands.

Mom and I went into town and ran some girly errands. Bought some girly things. Mom got her nails done. Oh so girly! Though we are not "mani pedi" girls. I read a bit of the Cosmo mag that was in the salon, and it just about did my brain in.

Back at home, Ma got to dinner, and I got to packing. Well, I got to laying out clothes. I also folded my laundry. Dinner was burritos. So much guacamole. Tasty stuff. I packed my black bag up real nice, and my back pack as well. I have extra shirts and stuff. Mom's bag is the one with the GPS and guide books and all these other things.

Ma and Pa went to bed at 9, I'm staying up. Having some tea. In a couple hours, we shall drive off. I am the one planning on driving, though mom may object. I'm just not a big napper! I can't just lay my head down at any old hour and conk out.

March Minibreak 2012, whooo!!

Oh Silverdale, you crazy

Didn't work on the drawing today. At all. Errr uhh yeah.

Anyway, got up a bit earlier than usual. Well...10:30ish. I also went to bed a bit earlier. Just didn't feel like staying up all that late watching television. Odd. My habits, they are a changing.

I need to keep from picking at my face, my skin is on another bad flair. Just have to let it be...let it be. My hair roots are also showing, but I think I shall wait it out a bit more before I dye it again. And when I do dye it, I think I'll try to make it closer to my natural boring color. Dying it takes time and effort and my hair grows fast and time moves on so quickly. I've decided to grow out my bangs, and already it seems they are long enough to tuck back and all that.

Anyway, I ran some in town errands. There was a lot of traffic around Anderson Hill Road, and this was because (as I later learned) of someone holding up Key Bank. Egads! So once I got through that bottleneck, I went to the Doctor's Clinic and signed a release of information form for my records. Then I went to the dollar store and got some candy for the impending trip. I also swung by Golden Rule Tattoo & Piercing, but the tattoo artists gave me side eye and the guy working the desk took a while to answer my inquiry about getting my ear re-re-pierced. The douchey attitude of the whole place really put me off. If they want to see my visible tattoo, they better be prepared to get a kick to the face.

Went back home, got stuck in the same traffic for a bit. It was a nice day. Very sunny. I got some dollar store sunglasses to tide me over during the times when my favorite pair are broken. At home I applied gold nail polish to the sides to make them fancy.

We watched Community. YAY COMMUNITY IS BACK! It was a good episode. Not one of the great episodes, but still good to see the awesome gang back. Mom made soup, it was delicious. She also made garlic bread, though some of the pieces were a bit black. Dad went to Mats Mats and helped Grandma out.

Tomorrow I'll have to pack for the trip. I like to leave things till the last minute, though it isn't really last minute. I'll also probably be the one driving us to the airport late at night, so I better sleep extra in tomorrow morning. I think we also plan to wash Holly tomorrow. Mmhmm.

minecraft one

Started working on the Minecraft painting for Nathan. Don't know what I got myself into with this. Hahah. Still, a fun exercise. I don't know if I should draw it all and then paint it, or draw and paint it in quadrants? Hmmn. My feet are cold and the smoke in the house is making not feel all that good.

In regards to the smoke, something is blocked in the fire place, which means the smoke isn't fully exiting, so the house is getting a bit, well, smokey.

And we got a couple more inches of snow. GAAHHH! Though it is slush and is sure not to stick around. Still, totally lame.

Mom has started packing for our minibreak. I'll pack on Friday. I just need clothes, sketching supplies, and my computer. Then I should be good. Oh, and a book. I'll back a book.

next step: resumes

Yaaay! I got my cards printed. And they look pretty good. Just went into the shop, gave them my file, and they were printed and cut in no time at all. Mom, pop, and I all drove into town to run that errand. The new Prius I think is starting to lose its new car smell. While waiting for the cards to be printed, we went and got some bird seed, and then we went to Costo and got lots of nuts. Mom really likes her legumes. But whoooo yay! I have business cards! That is another thing checked off and done and dooooone. It is sort of amazing to think that I am a person with a business card. A card that I would give someone in the hopes that they would need to contact me for business. I have 150 of them. Mmmhmm.

I got up a bit early to run mom in on an errand. We went grocery shopping at Central Marker after and got tons of neat food, because they had an awesome import section. Jammy Dodgers! Yan Yan! Crunchie Bars! And other, healthy things. I swear we got healthy things.

It was snowing when we left this morning, but the snow didn't stick. No we didn't go to Mats Mats either.

Mom and I are going to take a mini break together. Saturday to Friday. Las Vegas (meh) and the Grand Canyon (yay!!). Mom doesn't get much actual time off, so we are going to take advantage of it. Then we'll come back and be at Mats Mats for a while. Let Auntie Joyce have a long overdue break.

We ate dinner at Origami Sushi. Num nummers.

Back at home we watched Paul, which I heard from two people whose opinions I trust very conflicting opinions about. Thankfully we found it delightful! Frost and Pegg have a chemistry together that shines in anything. It was silly and fun. A good Tuesday night movie indeed.

it's business tiiiiime

It snowed! Again! And the lame slushy snow. The inconvenience making snow that keeps you homebound. So we didn't go to Mats Mats. Hopefully it will be melted enough by tomorrow. Got some errands to run.

Worked on my business card. I think I'll just go with the one sided card. Need to get it made. Simple for now, I'll step it up for the next print run.

Made a scramble for breakfast. Mmm. Mom made awesome nachos for early dinner. Yum.

no walkies for doggie, and my back is feeling better

Daylight savings! A time change that doesn't really effect me because I never keep any semblance of regular hours. Dad made us waffles, and they were good.

Was I supposed to get something done today? Because I didn't. I did do some drawing though, so that was good. It is always nice to know I haven't lost my arting ability. It is just dormant. Need to take it out of hibernation.

There were sandwiches for lunch and jambalaya for dinner. I want to leave home, why?

Tomorrow, Dad and I will go up to Mats Mats and clean the motorhome. That is the plan, and since I have written it, it must be so.

Then again, I've been writing that I'll make a business card for days now. I wonder how much postcard mailers are...no! Business card. Do that Trill. Do that. Though maybe I should just get one sided...it would be cheaper. Especially if I order them online (because Kinkos is lame).

I drew a Cumberbatch

fish dress

Was watching Portlandia, and mom said, "I have that dress."

Anyway. I didn't set my alarm clock. Wanted to doze for a while. Dad made poached egg on toast with melted cheese. Yum! We took Holly for a walk and she got quite muddy. My back hurt all day, and my ankle on and off. Holly was well behaved in regards to some other dogs on the trail. She barked once and that was it.

Back at home, I made popcorn and mom and I played mancala. Dinner was polenta and turkey scramble. Quite tasty. I hope theres some turkey left over for a breakfast scramble.

I watched Marwencol. Didn't work on my business card. Whoops.

errands and thinking about expanding my skills

Had a toast and two cups of tea breakfast. Even woke up at a fairly reasonable hour.

Ma, Holly, and I went for walkies at Scenic Beach State Park. It was a nice beach walk, though Holly tried to pull me into the branches. We only saw one other person at the park.

I returned Mom and Holly to Seabeck, and headed into Silverdale to run some errands. I deposited my Bitch Magazine check. Whooo! Now to spend it! Just kidding (not really). I went to Best Buy to look at tablets. I don't have a good one to produce digital art with, and while I am generally a traditional artist I should be well versed with the computer, and be able to do computer art. A mouse, hell the touchpad on my laptop, doesn't cut it. So a tablet would be a good buy in regards to my career and move and all that. So I looked at tablets. Don't know which to buy though. Bamboo Create or Intuous4? I'm leaning toward the Create...or maybe the Capture. Hmmn.

After Best Buy, I went to Kinkos to look at their Business Cards. Even without shipping they cost more than some of the online card companies. And they only have three kinds of paper, none of which I really like. And you have to buy like...250 cards. Ehhh. I think I can do better. Need to design a card first, of course.

On the way home, I swung by Kristen's old place, where my hair straightener and book apparently is. Neither Randy or Anthony could find it though. They'll get back to me about it, I'm sure. I should have been more on the ball a few months ago in regards to my straightener.

Back at home, a salad was waiting for me. We watched a bit of Of Gods and Men, but none of us were feeling it.

Mom is resting and listening to American Gods. It is early in the night for me to blog, but I don't see anything else happening.

Tomorrow I shall lay out my business card. That is my tomorrow goal.

old stories, new listens

Got up super early, 5:30am!!!, because I had to run errands with mom. Special mum errands. Drank two cups of black tea. Tasty tasty. Got me going. I'm a bit tired now, but I don't feel dead. It is good to be young, eh?

Drove mom around, then headed home. Ma and I spent a good part of the afternoon listening to Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Damn good story. I'm remembering more of it than I thought I would. It has been so many years since I last experienced it.

Hot dog and ramen edibles today. Tomorrow I'll help make a fancy meal.

Finished editing the photos that I have on hand. Time to take more photos. I think my website is just about done.

bonus artwork!

Today's goals, as I wrote on Tumblr, were to finish editing the work I documented. Which I have mostly accomplished. The next goal was to edit my website and put up said work. Which I also accomplished. Then to work on layouts for business card. Which I didn't quite accomplish. And also Laundry which, oh crap I have my third load in the dryer still. Oops.

Anyway, editing took a while but I got it edited. Listened to American Gods. Such a good story. Listened to Odd Owl. Such a good band.

I snacked all day so I wasn't hungry in time for dinner. Tomorrow we'll make a nice dinner.

Have to get up early to drive Mom to an appointment.

I think I can finally take my website off its "under construction" status. It is pretty well formed, and I am happy with it. It just needs MORE work. Lots more. Fill it up with art. I do like the way the art sits in the website though.

Now I need to move on to my resumes. Get those looking spiffy. It is all starting to take shape once again. I was out of the game for a while, but now my focus is narrowing. The beginning is nigh!

But now to go and sort my laundry. And listen to more stuff. And try to sleep, even though I probably had green tea too late in the day. Hmmmn.

...I'm also snacking on seaweed

Another rather do nothing day. Well, after noon it became a do nothing day.

Got up at about 9:50ish, showered, and took my antibiotics. I have a heart murmur you see, and with that comes having to take antibiotics before surgeries and things. Things like the dentist. I had a cleaning to go to! I got a call yesterday saying that they had an opening and that it was time for another cleaning, so I went for it. They scraped and flossed and used a water jet and filed away a little bit of my filling (like a bump or something) and I was good to go. Hurray!

Spent the rest of the day doing nought what I need to do, and all that can be done later. Like watch TV and read articles on the Internet. I need deadlines. I can work with deadlines.

Dad made me a sandwich for lunch. It was good. He also made dinner, potato and corn and chicken, and that was good. Mom and I watched Raising Hope. It had one two many plotlines.

Now I'm chilling and watching Real Humans and wondering just how to start my life. Well, I'm not wondering too hard. Just hard enough I suppose.

easy Monday

Made another nice fire. It took a while to get going, but get going it did. Mom made a stew for dinner. Tasty stew. We watched a bit of Bron/Broen. Walked Holly. Ate chocolate. Read Habibi. Watched things. Played it mellow.

Pa came home late from looking after Grandma. It isn't easy.

Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment. A cleaning! Whee!

last day with Nate till every day is with Nate

Dad went off to Mats Mats in the early afternoon. Mom stayed behind and made breakfast. Yum! Though she soon followed. Then it was my responsibility to look after and entertain Nathan. So we watched Adventure Time. And he read comics. And we watched more Adventure Time. He also showed me some games. Soon enough 4pm rolled around and it was time to drive him to Sea-Tac. Vroom off we went. We listened to Cabin Pressure (though Nathan didn't laugh as much as I expected him to, boo! Though maybe that was because he was listening to them out of order? Who knows.). Anyway. Got him to the airport on time. Said goodbye. On the way back, I got some Jack in the Box and drove through the sunset. Got back at around 7:10ish, and have been chilling out. No ma and pa. Just Holly.

Time to get a move on with my life. Time to kick it into gear and get the move on. Yeah.

Spencer Fest

Ma made a Dutch Baby, and I don't really eat that...I sort of selectively decide what I do and don't eat and that can change on a whim.

Anyway. Had some toast and tea and bacon, and that is good.

The four of us headed up to Mats Mats for the day. We packed up the new Prius with things and games and off we went. Unfortunately a piece of gravel chipped the windshield! A little chip, but still a chip.

Grandma was napping when we arrived. We walked out on the dock. Joyce gathered some oysters. I sorted through photos, but no intensive sorting. Just sorting by size and stuff. Found an embarrassing photo of young Scott, though I shant scan it. We played the Tetris game and Mom beat Joyce by one.

The first course of the day was oysters wrapped in bacon. Delicious.

We drank some wine and looked at pictures and played Apples to Apples. Nate and Scott tied. Grandma picked out a few cards as well, and apparently according to her Antarctica is not that cold. Hummm.

The second course was clams dipped in butter. Scrumptious.

The third course was a crab salad. Magnificent.

The fourth course was salmon. Moist perfection.

The fifth course was homemade ice cream. Yum.

We played Settlers of Cattan and Mom & Nate won. It was a slow starting game, than didn't have that many major developments. I drew on some of my pieces. Of course rubbing alcohol will get rid of any sharpie, should Mom decide she wants her Cattan pieces NOT drawn on anymore. Heh.

Grandma was in better spirits, and kept mostly in reality except for a few step backs to quilting. Midday we went out for a walk. Well she was in her motorized cart...so we walked and she rolled.

Back at home, Nathan and I finished up the last two episodes of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and then watched a bunch of Adventure Time. I should dress as Lumpy Space Princess for Halloween. OH MY GLOB!

shopping as a family

Dad made Nathan huckleberry pancakes. Dad made me egg and toast. Good Dad.

I called Barnes & Nobel and it turns out that they DID have issues of Bitch Magazine in stock. The ones that have my illustration in them. I am legit published. So awesome. And my peer, classmate, friend Jenn Hayes is in the issue as well. Go girls! We go. And you should go buy the issue. Because I'm in it.

So the whole family hopped in the new Prius and went into town. Ma bought three issues. Good ma. We went to World Market and got sweets. Yummy sweets. And some hard cider, because ma likes it. And this time she didn't try to foist the asking of the cider onto me.

Then we headed to Costco. I got my precious fruit leathers. Nothing beats those. Also got clams and crab and drinks and more fizzy drinks and other Costco things. We got hot dogs after, and mom gnoshed on ours instead of buying her own. After Costco we went to Trader Joe's and got treats and a bottle of wine and more treats!

At home, diner was rice, salad, bread, and panko crumbed chicken. We watched Portlandia and popped open the Bordeaux. After dinner, we played Tetris and all of Nathan's moves were made to block me. Mom won.

Then we watched Indiana Jones. Well, as I write this we are watching Indiana Jones. Mom went to bed. Dad will probably go to bed soon. Then Nate and I will probably watch more Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.

Memorial for Grandpa Joe

Today was the memorial for grandpa Joe. Nathan was flying up from California, so it was my assignment to pick him up at the airport. This required a 5:45am alarm clock, followed by leaving the house at 7:20ish instead of 7:30. I got caught up in some traffic, as today was also the memorial for an officer who was killed in the line of duty. There was a procession on the freeway of sorts. I arrived at the airport at around 9ish. So about thirty minutes late to pick Nathan up, but that gave him a chance to eat in the airport. We swung by Jack in the Box and I got a sandiwich and a much needed caffeinated beverage. We sat and chatted. When Nathan looked up the directions to the church for the memorial, it ended up that it was only seven minutes away. It was 10am and the memorial didn't start till 1pm. So we drove down to the Des Moines waterfront and sat in the car and played on our laptops. Totally normal behavior for two adults in their twenties to be doing early on a weekday afternoon.

At noon, we were the first to arrive at the church. But Burt and Banetta (?) arrived shortly after. Then Ma, Pa, and Grandma. Then it was a steady stream of distant family relations. Cousin Annie. Joyce, Dick, Scotty. More Moerhles. Rolfe and Alison. Hans. Lots and lots of people that we largely unfamiliar. Alicia and Phoebe couldn't make it due to Phoebs being sick. Nathan agreed to do the second reading in her place, and I switched to doing the first and longer reading. Everyone seated and the priest did his thing. We sang, and Nathan and I were comrades in tone deafness. I saw we, I mean everyone attending. No one would ask either of us two to sing solo. I must thank the PNCA thesis oral process for giving me the strength to speak publicly. It is a big fear for a fair number of people, but not I. I'm not the best at it, but I don't mind doing it.

I do not know the Catholic traditions, and thus did not know when to speak in unison, what prayers to say, and so on. But that was okay. It was about half Catholic, half not, so it balanced out. The priest did the body of Christ thing.

Dad's eulogy was very good. Emotional, moving, and very much true to Grandpa.

After the service, we moved into the hall below and had snacks and drinks. A slideshow of scanned photos played. We all chatted with one another. Scotty recalled many tales of grandpa. I drank tea and chatted with distant relatives. All was good, and the flowers were plentiful.

At 4pm, things were packed up. Flowers into Joyce's truck. Scottie got some cookies. Grandma went back into the Prius to be delivered back to Mats Mats. Nathan and I returned to Seabeck. We raced Ma and Pa and Grandma a bit, but soon lost them. Ha ha!

I stoked a fire, Nathan showed me games, we ate soup and bread, we hot tubbed, I stoked the fire further, we watched stuff online, talked about future living arrangements, and all was good. Ma and Pa didn't get home till 10ish.

leap day, bonus!

Remember when I said I would accomplish something? Hhaha. The snow was still around, five inches of it, but it wasn't hazardous. It should melt pretty quick. I stayed inside. Ate food. Went on the Internet. Read Habibi. Tomorrow is Grandpa's memorial. I have to get up early and pick up Nathan from the airport. Early. Fahhh. Big day.

go away snow, we don't like you

Really, Washington? Snow? Again? And four inches! Stop it. Just seriously...stop. And four inches? Who can sled in that? That sucks! It is just an inconvenient amount of snow. Now the streets will be icy, but nothing will be cancelled. Totally lame.

Anyway. I spent the afternoon working on a pamphlet for Grandpa's memorial. It took a lot of Microsoft Word jiggery pokery, but I did it. Part of it required positioning the text off the page itself, so that it would show up when it printed. I dunno. It was odd. But it worked! I even did an insert that was the obituary. It featured a young photo of grandpa, while the outside had a recent photo. It looks quite nice, though the ink started to run out in the printer. So the photo is black and white, instead of color. Still, it looks good. I used some of my left over thesis paper to print it, so it is thicker than regular printer paper, which is nice.

So I did that, and that was good. I also spent a while in front of the fireplace keeping warm. Didn't venture out into the snow. It was dark by the time it was really accumulating. Mom got home safely, so that was good.

Lunch was hot dog sandwiches, and dinner was salmon burger. Mmm. Ma and pa watched The Flinstones. I watched Nordic television. I hope the snow melts soon.

What will I accomplish tomorrow?

bismillah

Did a bunch of driving today. Well I sat in the back seat while dad drove. I started reading Habibi, which is simply wonderful. The art is beautiful. The story layers are...just unbelievable. It is so well conceived, and I'm just starting! It really does the comic thing so well. Couldn't be done in any other medium, and I love art like that.

We picked up Grandpa's ashes in Sequim, then swung by the cafe that Celia works at. Had a delicious lunch with lots of tasty treats. Dad and I shared a tuna sandwich and there were pastries galore. Celia spoiled us. We swung by a lavender store and picked up a present for Joyce. Ahh lavender stores. They are so smelly in a good way.

Stopped by Mats Mats for a little bit as well. Grandma seemed in better spirits, and her health had improved since the last visit as well, which is always good. We gave Joyce her present, and there was some sorting out of the memorial arrangements.

I wonder how I could spice up my blog. A joke? What's the difference between a well dressed man and a tired dog?

...

...

...

One wears a suit, the other just pants!

Anyway, back at home, I did the Internet thing and Dad made me a hot dog sandwich. It was quite good. Well, I put the mustard and ketchup on myself. I'm a big girl.

I think there are some tasks that need accomplishing tomorrow. Suddenly, Tuesday has arrived.

err uhh

Didn't get a whole lot done today. Got absorbed in the Oscars.

Still, had my tea and breakfast. Watched stuff. Stoked the fire. Watched the Oscars. Sad Gary Oldman didn't get the win, glad Plummer and The Artist did. Made popcorn. Wore my new trousers.

Yup. That about sums it up.

pants!

Slept in. Had an egg salad sandwich for an early lunch/breakfast. Had some tea.

Ma came home from a busy day doing exercise stuff at the Y. We all chilled out.

Then after several walks with Holly, we went into town! First Dad got some car parts, then we went to Old Navy. I tried on a bunch of pairs of pants and discovered that I am down a size! How great is that? Some of the pants were just ridiculously tight, but that was more the style. Anyway, found two lovely pairs. Didn't get anything else, though some of the shirts looked nice. I have enough shirts though. Way too many shirts. I don't have many pants. I sort of cycle through the same three pairs. I really need to sort through my clothes in preparation for my move. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow? Listen to audiobooks and sort. My room itself is a clothing pile mess. It wouldn't take that much effort to set it to rights.

We did some food shopping afterwards. Mom said to one of the Albertson's workers that I was wondering where the hard cider was. ME! Put it on me! How could you mom? Ask for your own booze. Hahah. We also got doughnuts, and we ate said doughnuts while on the Anderson Hill trail. Mmm yum.

Back at home, we ate some clam chowder, popped open some of the cider and watched Bird on a Wire on Netflix. It was cute. Lots of yelling from Goldie Hawn.

Gotta scan. Gotta sort. Gotta get shit done.

london and iraq

AHhh woke up this morning to set photos from the Star Trek sequel. I am so excited for it! Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the villain most likely, and it is going to be good. So good.

After a hash brown and egg breakfast, we three lounged around a bit. And then we went into Silverdale, got some take a way, did some grocery shopping, and off we went to Mats Mats!

Grandma was ill, so we mostly chatted with Joyce. I grabbed some more photos. We took some stuff to take to Goodwill. We had the take a way Chinese food for dinner (beef with broccoli is both auntie's and my favorite). We got caught up on the status of things. Threw out some ideas. Admired Joyce's cleaning of the kitchen. Cleared out some of Grandpa's things. Visited with Grandma a little bit, but not much as she wasn't feeling well. The new Prius was packed full of stuff and off we went back to Seabeck.

Ma and Pa watched Portlandia. Then it was beddy bye time.

2002 was 10 years ago

My Grandfather's memorial will be March 1st.

I did not called in for Jury Duty.

Now the time is nigh to really get everything together so I can head on down to California. Daaaamn.

Anyway. Slept in. Had a little breakfast. Watched Bron/Broen. Mom napped and read. Dad did Dad stuff (car repair). I scanned in a few more pictures. Now I just have to do the wedding photos! All though I'll be visiting Mats Mats again soon, so then I'll probably collect more photos to scan...ahhh. Still, I got a good chunk of nice photos scanned. Go me!

After a chicken salad dinner, we watched Moneyball. It was better than I was expecting it to be. I liked Chris Pratt as Hatteberg. That was a lovely little piece of casting. Not a movie I'll watch a second time, but not too shabby considering I would never have picked it for something to watch. Baseball isn't my thing.

So now I think I'll watch more Danish/Swedish murder mystery. It is good stuff. Thankfully there are only ten episodes to be watched.

Eleanor Dorchester

business time

Scanned more photos. I think I'm about half way done...though there are more photos at Mats Mats. Plenty more. So many more. So I'm about half way done with the photos we have on hand here. So I worked on that. And I sorted them. And sat in front of the fire. And watched Danish/Swedish murder dramas (Bron/Broen)...

Dinner was fish and potatoes and....I forget the vegetable.

Then we watched a few episodes of Dream On. Such a cute show.

I'm on call for Jury Duty this week, though my pool hasn't been called yet. Hmmm. I need to start getting my stuff together for California. The time is nigh. Should make and order some business cards. What makes for a stunning business card? Color. Lots of color.

scanning the day away

Spent the middle part of the day scanning photos. Photos of grandpa, photos of grandma, photos of dad, photos of auntie. And I have more photos to go! Had some Doctor Who and Oz playing in the background while I worked. Tomorrow I'll do it again. It's fun to sort and organize and get digital copies of photos. It is also good because, in scanning, I can adjust the contrast and make some photos better in appearance.

Dad made awesome burgers for lunch. I should have him teach me how to make them before I leave.

Chicken, potato, and broccoli for dinner. Mmm.

Glee was relentlessly serious and dramatic and pulled the heartstrings. They really didn't have to go and do what they did with the end, but they did it anyway. Boo. Raising Hope was hilarious. One of the best episodes they've had in a while.

no more nights in Mats Mats for a while

Oh right, didn't write up Sunday. Because I was at Mats Mats.

Sunday:

Forget what I had for breakfast. Mom came home to rest and regroup and tend to house things. We headed back to Mats Mats together for the night. Grandma was a bit discombobulated when we arrived. Dinner was a stir fry. I talked to Nathan on the phone for a while. After Grandma went to sleep, we watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It was better than I expected it to be. Sorry, don't remember much about Sunday.

Monday:

Dad found some bacon, so breakfast was an eggs, bacon, and toast extravaganza. Grandma was in a better state. I sorted through more photos. Aunt Joyce arrived! So now one of us doesn't have to be in Mats Mats every night. A break. Which will be nice. I got through, what I hope, the last of the old photographs. The Alaska, Joyce and Joe childhood, young Grandma and Grandpa photos. There are more photos, but glossy ones of quilts and grandchildren. I won't be scanning those. Just the ones of Grandma in a hula skirt, Grandpa gnawing a crab, and my dad as a young cute dork.

Ma and I headed back in the Prius. We soaked in the hot tub, and that was nice. February is so mild. Dinner was left overs. Dad came back in the small red truck. We watched Willow, and I played the MapCrunch game where you turn off location help and get dropped off on a random road in Google Earth (using the MapCrunch program) and try to find an airport. It is fun. I got lost in Tokyo and gave up after hours of wandering.

Tomorrow I'll put on an audiobook and scan scan scan. Sounds like a plan plan plan.

holding down the fort

It was nice to be back in my bed. The Mats Mats twin beds get a bit unnerving what with how small they are.

Dad came home for the afternoon. I made myself a scramble for breakfast (two eggs, left over turkey, onion) and toasted an english muffin. I helped dad haul up fire wood and fix the handle on the woodstove. Pop left to go back to Mats Mats, and I kept the fire burning, and kept Holly doggy company. Gave her lots of cuddles.

Tomorrow I'll go back to Mats Mats. Going to look through our photo albums and look for an empty on in which to put family photos. Not sure if I should scan and then put them in albums, or sort them and then scan...probably should sort than scan, just to make it more organized.

the passing of my grandfather Joe Sr.

2/15/2012 Wednesday

My grandfather, Joe Spencer Sr., passed away in the night.

Mother and I packed up the car with snacks, clothes for overnight, and Holly, and off we went to Mats Mats to say with Grandma Eleanor Spencer. Mom, well versed by now in the practices of the affairs of the departed, set in on making the calls and arrangements for cremation and otherthings. I kept them all company. I pulled some photo albums from upstairs, and Grandma told me who this person and that person were. There were photos of a ski trip, where everyone shoved snow into each other's faces. My grandmother still has her yearbooks from when she attended Stadium Highschool in the 40's. She also has the yearbooks from the school my dad and aunt Joyce attended int he 60's. I plan on scanning the portraits, because some of them are amazing.

It is fairly quiet out here in Mats Mats.

My grandparents always remembered birthdays. They also made up candy bags for the kids (my parents counted as "kids") on Halloween and Easter, even though they were not particularly religious concerning the latter. They were also avid readers of this here blog, and often when my parents mentioned my achievements to them, they would reference my blog saying that they already knew. My grandmother is mostly electric chair bound, but carries on some lovely conversations and is not lacking in wit. Joe and Eleanor were married for sixty five years. How amazing is that?

Auntie Joyce is in Colorado, and Dad is in Houston, but is flying back tomorrow morning. Celia came by for dinner, and brought some treats from the bakery she works at. I sorted through so many amazing old photos, but most of the people I don't recognize. What does one do with photos of unknown people who are probably long gone? Grandma dozed off while we were watching Pretty Woman on ABC Family. Nothing says family like the movie Pretty Woman. Tomorrow, we'll pick up Dad and continue with everything.

2/16/2012 Thursday

I slept in whie mother tended to breakfast. Grandma was up and at them, and conscious of what had transpired the previous day.

The Hospice caregivers came over, one to keep her company, the other to give her a bath. Dad was flying in from Houston, so Mom and I drove to Silverdale to pick him up from the airporter. We had some Burger King for a late lunch/early dinner, and then we returned to Mats Mats. Grandma Eleanor can't be left alone. She doesn't require much care, but she does need someone else around.

I have been sorting through so many photos, and I've barely even started sorting them in a way that prepares them for life in albums. I keep finding boxes, and I know there are more. Still, it is a good project. Found a wedding photo of my Great Great Grandmother Nellie Pratt. I should do a family tree.

Dad went to sleep at around 7:30pmish. Mom and I stayed up a bit and watched stuff quietly on my computer. It has been a major bonding experience with my mother, these past few days.

2/17/2012 Friday

More calls are constantly being made. Joyce won't be in Mats Mats till Monday, so one of us needs to be there at all times. After tea and sandwiches, Mom and I departed to take a break in Seabeck. Dad stayed behind to help and work on paperwork and this and that. Nothing can really progress till we get a death certificate.

Mom took a nap, and I checked what has been happening on the Internet. I also scanned some photos. We snacked a bit and rested. Mom has headed back to Mats Mats for the night, but I, and Holly, are staying in Seabeck. Just three days into it all, but it feels like much, much more.

progressing onwards, getting that artwork on my computer

Documented my monotypes and my intermediate illustration portfolios. I think I'll put monotypes as a project on my blog. There are enough nice ones to give it its own category, and it is good to not say I'm a monotype based illustrator. Haven't edited them for internet yet, but I'll do that tomorrow, and document more of my work. One of the portfolios was full of other people's posters, so I don't need to document that.

More leftovers. Glee managed to be cute and had some good numbers. Raising Hope was funny. Did you know there is a website that has every episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Well there is!

A gray day. No rain. Just grayness. Meh, whatevvver.

reminiscent of days gone by, hopeful for the ones to come

Mom bought me doughnuts! Good mom! She was running errands all over town today. Dentist, doctor, getting Holly washed. I watched my telly and ate doughnuts. Holly came back all nice and clean and good smelling. I gave her many cuddles. Then we took her for a walk and she got muddy, and when she started to roll in some leaves in mud we both went, "HOLLY NO!". But she didn't get that dirty, and she cleaned herself up.

I downloaded the free image editing software GIMP, and that combined with finally figuring out how to light my pieces (HURRAY!) and some helpful advice from my friend Petra, I am successfully documenting my artwork! That is until I realize that it isn't a good enough format for print...but I think it should be fine. I'm not resizing them to be that small. They just need to look good on the screen, which they do! I've gone through three of my eight (!!!!!!!!) portfolios of various artwork made whilst at PNCA, and documented what I think need documenting of those three. It is going good. I've just edited about four pieces and put them on my website (under illustration). Tomorrow I'll edit the 16 or so pieces that need color correction, and document a lot more. Finally on the ball. Got over that hump! Whoo! Go me.

Going through these old portfolios, which contain work from 2008 and 2009, I can really see how much I've grown in technique, confidence, style, and just all around...artistry. It is heartening to see how much one grows, especially knowing how much further one can grow. I need to organize these properly for storage. I want to take some prints with me, as gifts for those who house me in the Bay Area, but some things can be filed safely away for a decade or two.

Banana Slug

11" x 11"

Screen print.

2009.

did something! I did something!

Today I mostly worked on my website and the organizational system of my art folders on my computer. The folders on my computer were a mess. I kept finding folders called "new art" that contained work from 2009! I also had to dig through my backup discs to find all the stuff I've done for Odd Owl, because that was scattered. No point in documenting things, if I just put the files somewhere that I can't easily locate. I should have been more on the ball years ago. Gahh.

But my website is looking better! www.trilliantrillian.com! Mostly the sketchbook and Odd Owl sections have been updated, though the Illustration has been reorganized a bit as well. Weebly is so easy, if a little bit inflexible. Tomorrow I will throw myself at documentation. It, once again, got too dark before I could make real progress. I think the lights plus natural light might provide some results. Once I figure it out...ahh yeah.

I want to expand the borders on my website, make it a little bigger. Need to figure out the part of the html that corresponds to that.

Mom was gone all day at the Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. We watched 101 Dalmatians. Holly wasn't bothered by all the dogs barking.

I'm amazed at how much a trap the internet is, well not really...

Promised mom that when she gets back, tomorrow, from the Seattle Flower and Garden Show tomorrow, that I will have made some progress in my portfolio. Some way, some form, I will do it! Today was another unproductive day.

Made myself a scramble for lunch. That was good. Ma and I soaked in the hot tub. That was also good.

Dad will be back in less than a week. With him around, I'll probably be more productive. I'm rubbish at being productive when people are not around.

Kiera, Fass, and Viggo

I found out that there is such a thing as too much Nutella on toast. Well, not really.

Ma and I left at around 3:30 for Silverdale. Got some suet for the feeders, and then we drove off to Bainbridge Island to see A Dangerous Method at the Lynwood Theater. One thing I like about the long drive back from Lynwood, is that it gave mom and I plenty of time to discuss the film. There was a lot to discuss too! About the differences in privelage between the portrayals of Jung and Freud. About Spielrein and her growth. About the sets and what they denoted. All this stuff. It was a good movie. Well acted, nice costumes. I think the trailer makes some parts of the movie to be more dominant than they really are.

Back at home, I made burritos for dinner. Yum! Then mom tucked into bed.

I spend so much time in bed, and so much time doing nothing. The problem with a blog is that it really makes it evident how little I'm focusing on certain things. Gah.

get yo' self together already!

(an image from one of Grandpa's textbooks)

Damn! Blast! Hoots! Crikey! Cripes! What did I get accomplished today? NOTHING! Boo, Trillian. Boo. I had so much fun but then WOOMPF back into nonproductiveness. GAAH.

Sent off a letter with a portrait in it.

Watched Oz. Totally addicted to that show. Thankfully the seasons are short, and the show has stopped running, so once I watch it all, there will be nothing more.

Kept the fire going. Cuddled Holly. Made myself a sandwich. It was good. Watched someone live draw online. That was cool.

Mom went to her Audobon Meeting and was gone most of the night.

new day, different hair

A picture of what my hair looks like, now that I've dyed it. A bit more auburn, and even. No light bits. No brown bits. I dig it. Am I just posting filler because I didn't do much today? Yeah...maaaaybe. Kept the fire stoked. Talked online with friends. Ate food.

Ma made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. We watched Beetlejuice. Good night.

telly & stove

Ahhh back to the usual. No long drives, or unfamiliar beds. Just Seabeck and keeping the fire stoked.

Caught up on my telly. Jeffrey Wright was on House! Love that actor. Skins was good. Oz is good. Call the Midwife is good. Kept the fire hot. Snacked on this and that. Lots of snacking. Bundled up in a blanket.

Glee was borderline (okay, actually) offensive. It was an uncomfortable episode to watch at times. Raising Hope was silly. Not the best episode. Ah, oh well. Nothing is perfect.

Ma said she'd help me with a lighting set up. Going back to the photography stage of things.

Eglantine & Emelius

I went to bed before 11, and then woke up restless at about 5:30am. My body wanted me to watch the sunrise, so I indulged it. I wish I had brought ma's new camera. There were some great photo opportunities as the sun came up. Breakfast was the rest of the eclair, some tea, some chocolate treats courtesy of Celia, and something healthy (hahah nope).

Ma and I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the over garage space. Sorting books for Goodwill or for shelves. Dusting the books. Stirring up dust and mold. Found some lovely books among the stacks, and found some rather outdated ones. We watched two more episodes of Hamish MacBeth. Mom isn't that keen on it. I like it all right. Eventually we got many boxes filled for Goodwill and for our personal shelves, so we called it quits on that project. Celia came over and we three (plus dogs) took a walk and cleared the trail a bit. It was a clear, blue, brilliant day. Not all that warm, but very beautiful.

After the hike, we packed up the car, and I drove us into Silverdale. We made a recycling run, then a Goodwill run, then filled up the car, then went to Walgreen's and I got some shampoo and hair dye, then we realized we had another box for Goodwill, and dropped that off. Then we finally went home.

The dye I put in my hair was a lovely mahogany shade. Very similar to what mine looks like now, just a little bit more on the auburn side of things. Not a big change, it just evened it out (no more lighter bleached bits on the end). And now I begin the permanent dye cycle again...well, we shall see what it looks like when my roots grow out. How big the change is and all that. Haven't dyed it since August. Time flies! I was thinking about going darker, but I like it like this.

Ma and I watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Love that movie! Adding Eglantine to my baby name list. Hahaha.

ach aye

Up at Pulali Point for the night. I've done quite a bit of travelling these past few days. Going here and there, instead of just staying at Seabeck. Tis nice.

I slept in today. Slept way in. Didn't even set my alarm clock. But eventually I did get up, shower, and eat some food. I packed an overnight bag, we put Holly in the kennel in the car, and off we went in the Old Prius to the land across the water.

We stopped by Mats Mats and visited with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Joyce. I took some quilting supplies. Joyce has been cleaning the quilting room and it looks really lovely. That is a lot of hard work! We watched part of the Super Bowl, and departed after the Half Time show (which was quite good). On the way to Pulali, we stopped at a lovely little market and got some fixings for dinner. Fancy sausages! Mmm!

Pulali is nice. Bryan, who stayed there for a couple weeks, rearranged some things but it is otherwise fine. He didn't set anything on fire or leave rodent carcasses on the grill. Overall, a good guest.

Ma cooked up the sausages and with those we had pasta and apple juice and carrots. Lovely dinner. Celia came over with some sweet treats and we watched the first episode of Hamish MacBeth, starring Robert Carlyle. I enjoyed it, even though they kept making comments about how it was different from the books.

Guess I'll tuck into bed early. I left my headphones at home so I can't watch anything. Oh wellll.

nuns!

Had some doughnuts and tea for breakfast. Yum. Good ol' Madeline's house. She, Jackson, and I watched the first episode of the Granada production of Sherlock Holmes. The series. Yeah. Madeline totally dug David Burke as Watson, but who wouldn't? He is fantastic!

At 11:20ish, I bid the Conn housefold adieu. It was a lovely visit with them. I drove down to 14th and Stark and found parking on Alder, and met Heather and Daniel at the very Portland named food place: Meat Cheese Bread. Or was that Meat Bread Cheese? Anyway. I ordered the steak and egg sandwich, with a Coke. I managed to eat most of it. Daniel presented me with TWO lovely drawings of Martin Freeman, and Heather gave me a lovely owl charm that I can't wait to turn into a necklace. Ahh such lovely people. At 1pm I hugged them and then hopped in my car, told the GPS to go to Seabeck, and then off I went.

It was hardly any effort at all to get onto I5. I was right near Morrison, and that practically turned into I5 and then I was zooming my way up north. Filled up just past Vancouver. Twenty bucks got my tank near to full, which was awesome. Love driving a Prius. 40+ miles per galllllooooon! Makes popping down to Portland affordable.

Got home ten after four. Just over three hours from Portland to Seabeck. That is rad. Closer than it seems.

Stretched. Unpacked from the car. Hugged Holly. Talked to mom.

At a bit after five, we hopped in the new Prius and headed to Port Orchard. We met Auntie Brynne and Dan at the Bay Street Bistro (or something to that title). Later on, two of their friends joined us. The appetizers were yummy. I drank plenty of wine. We had our meals boxed because we ran out of time to eat, and had to get to a play. Still, the food we had was yummy. And the wine was very good. Mmmm.

The play was Nunsense at that little Port Orchard theater that I saw Guys and Dolls at. And it was HILARIOUS. So well performed. So well hung. Just utterly delightful.

At home, ma and I watched Portlandia and Parks and Recreation. Then it was beddy by time. We might go to Pulali for next night.

Lovely wonderful minibreak. I had much fun and loved hanging with my pals.

Friday in Portland

BT, Karen, and Phil's couch is quite nice. And they have a super warm blanket. And since they have no pets, I don't suffer from allergies. Not that allergies keep me from pets. Some cats and dogs make me sniffle is all. Hardly what I'd call a serious allergy. Just take a Benadril and all is well.

Anyhoo, I am writing in the morning from the couch of those three. It is 9:41am. Setting my alarm for 9am, no matter when I actually get up, is a good thing. Keeps me in a slightly better sleep schedule range. Don't know why I'm starting today's blog in the morning. Maybe to just get a jump on things so I don't spend longer in the evening working on it?

Madeline will call me in a few and we'll figure out when we are getting together. So either I'll hang with her in the day and then go to Dom & Serenity in the evening...or hang with her all day and night and head out. Who knows? Well you reading this will know when I finish and post this entry. Yup.

*****

Karen made me a breakfast of tortilla and eggs and spicy goodness. We watched the first episode of Sherlock season 2, because she hadn't seen it yet and because Sherlock is awesome. Then we watched the features for The Hobbit, and then half an hour of the second episode of Sherlock. But I stopped myself, because if I didn't, I would just watch it all with her. Hahah.

Called Madeline. Got her address. Put it into my GPS and off I went! It was a brilliant day. Very blue with clear skies. Quite windy though. Madeline and I took her dog Pepper for a walk, and it was very gusty. The dog stayed on the ground though.

We spent most of the time hanging around and chatting. Jackson, her little brother, joined us as well. We gabbed about Cabin Pressure and did some word games and caught up and it was awesome. I joined her on a quick grocery run, and I assisted her in dispensing of some left overs. Yum!

At 8pm, I went to Beulahland, on my own, and met BT, Karen, Phil, Dominic, and Serenity. I had a whiskey sour at the start, and it twas lovely. I ate everyone elses left overs. I'm such a mooch. Did some photobooth photos with Karen, and with Serenity and Dom. We all drew in sketchbooks and in each others sketchbooks. I just drew on a loose leaf of paper, because I neglected to bring supplies. At 10:30ish we departed from the bar. I gave them all plenty of hugs, and BT is a great hugger, then I fled into the night.

Drove back to Madeline's. Now we are chilling. Tomorrow I am having breakfast with Madeline, then Lunch with Heather and Daniel, and then I shall get back on I-5. I'll need to get some gasoline first. Still, this has been a very affordable trip. Lots of food has been provided for me. Huzzah!

Portland Mini Break

Suprise! I decided to go down to Portland for two nights! Have car with good gas mileage, will travel.

Had oatmeal, packed some clothes and jammies, had tea, packed the car, hugged mom, and at 1pm I departed Seabeck for Portland. I need some practice with long distance driving if I plan to drive to California and start my life there and stuff. I stopped just after Olympia, and just before Portland to stretch my legs and, ahem, relieve myself. Still, the drive was good! Not all that stressful, I don't feel too tired from it. I just wish there were better stations to listen to.

I felt a little bit anxious pulling into Portland, as I'm really unfamiliar with city driving. But the streets were familiar, the traffic was light, and all was well. I found a parking spot on Johnson, between 22nd and 23rd, and parallel parked. I haven't parallel parked in yeaaars, and I did it flawlessly. Go me, go me. I put on cooler shoes and this smashing jacket I found in the closet, and trotted down to PNCA. Like a boss.

Danny Frazier was at the front desk. Said howdy to him. Hugged Asha, who became an American citizen yesterday, in the print lab. Also hugged Heather and Heather. The lab has been updated and it looks nice and pretty. New table tops, new shop vac. Real swell.

Daniel Williams had quite the mustache. Surprised Serenity and Dom in the library. They gave me lovely hugs. Chatted with Martin French a bit as well. It is First Thursday in Portland, so lots of people were milling about. More unfamiliar faces than familiar though. Ahh how time changes.

Heather, Daniel, and I went to Bridgeport for dinner. Drank some tasty beer, I finished their remainders. AHh I am such a mooch, but I adore them. I kept it pretty secret that I was coming here. Those two knew I was coming, and I texted a couple others. But made sure to have people not let on to Karen that I was there. That was the big surprise! To see her at her Courier Coffee Art Show.

And surprise her I did. She went "AHHHH!!!!" and hugged me, and went "AHHHH!!!" again and hugged me again. She was so enthused. It was awesome. Feels great to be so adored and to have my company appreciated like that. Coming to Portland was a very good idea. Feels really good to be here, and to be around so many great lovely wonderful supportive people. Saw BT, Jim, Phil, Andy, Morgan, Jon, Sivonna, Lacey...got hugs! So many hugs! I just drank water because I knew I'd be driving later on.

Jon, Sivonna, and I walked to the Hellion Gallery and looked at the stuff there. Some nice collaborations and wire craft. Saw Morgaine and got more hugs. Saw Chase. No hugs from Chase, but that is okay. Went to Grass Hut and met Bwana Spoons and chatted. Went to Compound...or no the gallery at Upper Playground. We were not that impressed. Swung by Pony Club, and the show there was quite superb. And the artist was very cute. Erin McCarthy was there, and we chatted.

Sivonna dropped me off at my car, which was good because my cool boots were starting to hurt my footsies. Drove to BT, Karen, and Phil's house and parked. BT clued me in to their wifi. Karen was asleep already. BT and I had a lovely conversation, and he went to bed.

Now I'm blogging and unsure what tomorrow has in store. Madeline? Dom and Serenity? Who knooooows? But it is rather exciting. Randomly showing up in Portland has worked out very well for lil' Trill.

something is in the works

I'm scheming. Something is in the works. Ohh la la.

Today I deposited my ye olde savings bonds. Whoo! Then I went to Office Max and looked into how much scanning would. Answer: way too much. And how would I know I was getting good scans? It also only goes up to 11x17", after that I'd have to roll my pieces through a large scanner, and that would likely be bad for the art and who knows the quality of that scan?

Anyhoo. Went home. Ate some microwave food. Watched telly on my computer.

Ma came home and we watched Cold Comfort Farm. Really charming movie.

Mmm hmmm.

progressing bit by bit

Tidied up my website a bit. Worked on my photo set up and took some pictures. Some sort of decent pictures. I think tomorrow I'll go to Office Max, or the equivalent, and look into the scanners they have on hand. Would be easier, but need to see how much it costs.

Ma was off at work. Didn't have to keep the fire stoked.

Toasted my sandwich today. It was good. Very good. MMmm.

Had ice cream and cucumber open face sandwiches for dinner.

Glee had some great routines with fun dancing and nice singing. Some plot, but no one really cares about the plot anymore. Hahah. During the break, Ma and I watched music videos. Raising Hope was nice and silly. Just as we like it.

ho hum

Mom had a tea lunch thing with her friend. I mellowed at home and ate some oatmeal and tea.

Proof read some of Ma's legal document stuff. Gave her feedback. We watched Galaxy Quest and ate ice cream.

Hmmm. Odd to write a daily blog when not much happens in my daily life these days. Need to change that. Simply must change that.

Flora Book and Friends

Today was an outing day! Had some toast and tea and then off Ma and I went to Tacoma. I drove today. Gotta get used to all the long distance driving I'll eventually be doing.

It was tempestuous. Rainy. Stormy. Really not good to drive in, but I did it!

It was a free day at the Tacoma Art Museum. Hurray! The Mexican Folk Art exhibit had a lot of various items, but it didn't have a lot of breadth within the different art themes. A couple skeleton sculptures, some milagro, some jugs, some puppets. Really cool stuff, I just wish there were more. Lots more.

There was a little Flora Book, among others, jewelry exhibit. That was lovely. Really dynamic silver pieces.

And then there was the At Home Across America: Scenes from the 1930s to 1950s in Print exhibit. And oh how it was beautiful. Detailed, varied, intense prints. Etching, lithography, engraving, wood carving. Emotional and sweet. Just really great art work. Really various. Ahh. I got so close to them to see the work. Albert Winslow Barker, Thomas Hart Benton, A. Hugh Fisher, Karl Max Schultheiss, Otto Wackernagel, Peggy Bacon, Henry Pitz, Doris Lee, Gene Kloss, Reynold Weidenaar, and Douglas Warner Gorsline among others. So damn good.

Then mother and I walked into the final exhibit. The biennial. The goddamn inevitable contemporary art exhibit. Guuhh. There were some...interesting pieces. But neither of us were really intrigued. We just love illustrative art too much.

After the museum we went to Two Koi for dinner. Sushi for both of us, tempura for mom, tempura udon for me. The sushi and tempura filled me up, so I couldn't finish the udon like a good udon eater would. Without Dad to finish our leavings, we have to adjust how much we order at places.

Annnnd back to Seabeck we went. I drove, and did a good job of it. Go me!

We watched the first two episodes of The Mitchell and Webb Look. As always, there are some great skits and some sort of awkward ones.

Mom is planning various things for us to do. Museum trips. Plays. Stuff like that. S'all good.