I'm sitting on the couch surfing the internet with my feet up. I have walked my new nephew BabyL to sleep and he"s dreaming warmly on my shoulder. My kitty came and settled down on my lap, gradually stretching out along the length of my thighs with her legs hanging over my legs. Court is beside me on the couch playing (and annotating) Warcraft while cuddling an eagerly-watching Cai. My other sister's kids are with their counterparts in my family: baby Sassy is with Syd watching the two boys play Mario Wii and the two tween girls are upstairs sharing dreams in Maddie's room. My sisters are each asleep on separate beds. Dinner is prepared and ready for its final warming.

Blending families and sharing lives is hard... until suddenly it's the most beautiful, wonderful, peaceful thing in the world



I needed this today. It's going to be a hard semester and I want to keep these peaceful times in mind.

The McLandsborough called me after his early morning dentist appointment today. I was still in bed attempting to stay asleep in order to avoid The Great 2009 Before-School Purge and Cleaning of the Rooms. My very shameful secret is that the padawans' rooms aren't half as bad as mine is because sometime last semester I decided that "piling on the floor" was an appropriate solution to "where to store all this art school stuff". Anyway, I wasn't going to get up: if you're not awake, you can't be expected to clean your room, can you?*

Unfortunately when I heard Jme's ringtone (shut up, you all have your own ringtones I do this for everyone) I reached out from under the covers and answered it in spite of my intention to sleep forever.

"Hello?"
"Hi, baby - just got out of the dentists'."
"And what did the dentist say?"
"More kisses."
"He... what?"
"He says I need more kisses. Yep: more kissing for me."
"Oooooh rly."
"Yes. Kissing. Look: I don't know, honey - I'm just telling you what the dentist said. He said he'd write up a prescription if I needed one but baby he's a doctor so we'd better just obey."

Once you laugh as hard as I did it's impossible to even pretend you can go back to sleep.

Awwww crap. Guess I'm getting up and cleaning my room, dang it.


*There are some drawbacks to this plan. YMMV.

I haven't seen many old pictures of my mom, but those that I have seen, of her as a freshman cheer-leader in high school in the 60s when she and my dad met, look just like this top picture. I'm hoping that she actually has some pictures of herself in high school so I can check my perception. I am pretty sure my dad has pictures, but I wouldn't be so cruel as to ask him to go back through old photographs of he and his ex-wife's courtship days.

In related news, divorce sucks. D-, Would not go again.

I think I'm going to take myself on a date to this art instillation this Tuesday to distract myself from OMG NEED MOAR PEOPLE SCHOOL NAOW PLZ. I don't know if I'll draw or write on that big long sheet of paper, honestly, and am trying not to make my decision (of which to do) mean anything - though of course I'm afraid it does. This brings to mind a story Sir Kent told me about his best friend in art school. It seems that for most projects that they had to do, and this one big one (maybe a final project?) specifically, his friend's projects involved more writing than actual visual art. Sir Kent's friend is an author now, and has been a talented writer for as long as I've known him. Gives me a little hope, this story: maybe the genesis of all I'm meant to be is already inside me, no matter what I pursue out here in the world.

...of course if that's true? I'm meant to be a hell of a lot of things.

In related news, Jeopardy! time:

Answer:

Final Cut Pro 6: Visual QuickPro Guide,

Little Digital Video Book, The (2nd Edition),

Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects: Essential and Advanced

Techniques, 4th Edition

</ul>
Question:
What books are required for just ONE of my classes at CU this semester?

I have been hanging around in a jewelery store on Larimer lately and man - wow, that is SOME PLACE. Possibly the most awesomely random yet comfortable place I have ever had the pleasure of being welcome in. Just as a side note: they get characters, I tell you, and NO LIE. I have stories that would make you laugh in surprise and I'm only there for a little while once a week or so! Today I saw a crest-pin being made for a man who's going back to the homeland because he's inherited the leadership of a clan. This man has a heavy cane but not for locomotion, oh no: it's in case of skulduggery on the byways of our fair city! He's also been a mercenary and he has been known to wear spats around town. Unironically. Now, I didn't get to meet him in person but today I did chat up an older lawyer who wanted Jamie to make him a necklace of sharks' teeth which the lawyer, himself, had collected on his most recent diving trip to Tahiti last week.

...omg what?!

If ever I do turn out to desire a career in writing believe me: it's only going to take me about two more months hanging out at the jewelery store and I will have material for yeeeears. And this isn't including the hijinks of the actual employees of the place nor the tale of what exactly I did to now be welcome to play around with shiny lovely pretties hang out in a jewelery store!

...you know, it's really only when I sit down, usually confused over some stupid relationship issue, to write about how nothing really is going on in my life that I realize how awesome an adventure my life is. Thanks, f-list.

Today I woke in my apartment to an inch of snow on everything.
Today, for a WONDER, Courtney got up (and told me about a manga she read) and went to work before I got out of bed.
Today around 2:00 I'm going to walk to the Peaberry Coffee down the street from my apartment for the first time (barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways).
Today I'm not taking a shower until this afternoon, and even when I do I'm getting dressed in a tank top, hole-y jeans and a friend's huge oxford (painting shirt).
Today I'm creating a polytych on four 5X7 cedar planks in various media. Which means MESSY MESSY SKYE TIME today.
Today I'm going to have a breakfast burrito for lunch.
Today Death Cab for Cutie's song "I Will Possess Your Heart" didn't make me feel unbearably wistful.
Today Panic At The Disco's song "When The Day Met The Night" made me cry, though.
Today I am painting with acrylics. I'll give it 3 hours and then if I hate it, it's going in the trash.
Today I'm going to have a hot dog and veggie chips for dinner with Courtney. Maybe she'll download Soul Eater to watch?
Today I am projecting I will work on 4, maybe 5 finals. Chances are I'll touch 3, though.
Today I'm working all day, dancing and singing all day, snacking all day, getting messy all day, and maybe missing you. All day.

Hope you have a lovely Saturday too. ESPECIALLY YOU, Teca. Happy b-day! ^_^

What have you been up to, Skye? Well let me tell you... ( click for some gory detailsCollapse )

OK BUT now for something completely different!



I just adored that.

I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE HOLY "ART HISTORY 1 MIDTERM OF ZIGGURATS AND BLACK-FIGURE AMPHORIA AND JOY AND JOYNESS" AND I HAVE RETURNED THE BANANA KING TRIUMPHANT. Yay go me: first midterm down, 6 more to go!

The teacher noticed me smiling during the test and afterward he asked me why. I said, "Because I wasn't sure how I'd do today, but being tested I realized that I've got this stuff. It was dates and places and facts yesterday and today it was a continuum of influences and human experience. It's beautiful." I guess he liked that answer because he beamed back at me and we shared a moment, grinning like loons and nodding in understanding and shared love.

( New friends and I show my underwear. ...Those two things are unrelated, btw.Collapse )

Can't wait to get that test back, friends. I think I really rocked it.

8:30pm EDITED TO ADD: Aaaaand I'm out of 3D class early, where the teacher groked my project completely! Today I totally win school!

School ROCKS! Every hard thing just feels like a challenge manufactured to make me MORE AWESOME... which it is doing, I assure you! Hehehe.

To sum up: I have met many cool people this week, received two invitations to fun things (Not going alone! Not by myself!) and finally introduced Courtney to a friend who's been visiting Denver every few weeks for a few months now. She said he reminded her of a 'more manly Ch4rm' - handsome, accomplished, a charmer - which as soon as she said it, I saw quite clearly. Well, and judging from texts and phone calls I am carrying on a more sweet, romantic, sexy, and potential-filled relationship with my ex-husband than anyone else in my life. (Not to dis' Court, of course, who I take out once a week and who often wears a pair of very sexy yellow heels...) In a related story, ch4rm and I are quite seriously considering writing a book. Stay tuned: News at 11.

Shall I give you two goodies? Yes!

This video from Ted.com (which I LOVE) is a Wii hack; short, sweet and to the point. 1. I love this nonplussed researcher, puttin' his stuff out there for free because money isn't the point. He's a REAL researcher. 2. I love Ted Talks. 3. When I told Paris about this talk, he had already found and tried to do this - only the fact that we had Vista on our computer stopped him. *eyeroll* I love that boy. Also, Vista sucks.

Pinky street cosplay! (There's 3 or so posts on this on his lj)

I worked all day today and I closed the shop alone at 8:30, after which I came home and bullied Court into stopping WoW and helping me clean the kitchen. She mostly hovered about behind me while I cleaned and she also complained that I was leaving all the 'icky parts' for her.

"Ok you want to unload the silverware?" I fumed, "get your butt over here any time of the frickin' day and do it, then. Jeeze. You don't want to what... wipe counters? Put away food that you've left out all day? Take out the overflowing trash? FINE, then come over here and finish the dishes that I started putting away when I got up this morning, early, and did before I went to work all day."

And that is as close to an argument as we'll get.

I finished unloading the dishes, put away/threw away food, washed and loaded the dishes, washed all the pots and pans, took out the trash. I don't know what she did - I don't care. It has to be done, whatever, I'll do it.

( This would be a great place for a nice long rest. Alas, NO.Collapse )

Oh my poor broken heart. Oh my disappointment. Oh my emogirl. Oh my ANGER and also hotness because I had been working HARD and do you know how hot it is in my room?!? HOT hot.

So I guess it's time to go to bed, but I can't help but feel that I have booked a cruise on the Failboat - my room's a DE-ZAS-TER, my computer doesn't work, it's way late, and I have been tired for hours. Waaah!

I am going to eat TWO scotch eggs tomorrow at the Ren Faire and also buy myself a ring - a RUBY ring - because I am good and pretty and smart even if I am right now cranky as an old woman, covered in dust, and cannot make my "It's an Apple! It doesn't hardly need a USER, it's so easy!" work for crap. Everyone knows buying pretty things restores your self-worth as a person, right? Right?

Hmpff!

Dear ch4rm,

Picking the kids up from the first day of a week-long afternoon soccer camp, the first thing I noticed is they were BEAT. Tired and red-faced and dirty beyond belief. Walking slow and with a slump, they shuffled to the car... and Paris didn't stop to hug me, which just doesn't happen. Cai had been crying - I saw him on the field with his coach - but he likes to talk about things in his own time (and then he likes no not STOP talking, but that's another story) so I left him alone. Maddie was snarling sub-vocally, almost.

I could see they had HAD IT so I pulled the 'ol "Let's go get chocolate shakes!" which had a tiny effect - still, Paris wasn't talking, Cai was tearing up sometimes and Maddie was downright cranky. After 15 minutes of me chattering about funny things and some tasty shakes later, everyone was cooling off and I got some stories.

( Anyone remember community organized sports? Yeah. Under here, with pics.Collapse )

Wish us luck,

-S

Feeling better in my body today, but taking it slow.

The pleasure and problem with sleepless nights (when I'm coherent and not in tortuous pain, kthnx) is that there is so much TIME at night to fill. 9 hours of night is SO much more than 9 hours of day, isn't it? Unfair, that. But I occupied myself how I could. I read/watched:

• Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi by Jonathan Spence


• Bleach, Episode 132: Hitsugaya, Karin and Soccer Ball (It has Ichigo's sister and Court's favorite Captain, Toshiro. It was adorable!)


• I Used to Miss Him... but my Aim is Improving by Allison James


• Researched GTD and moleskine hacks for said system; also student moleskine hacks (for when I start school in the fall)


• Last 25 pages of a Psychology book (which is late at the library, oops!)


• Drew an old lady smoking a pipe (from photo ref).

( 'You did ...what?!?'Collapse )

And just for you, my pretties: Follow along in my days!

The padawans and I are watching an episode or two of CardCaptor Sakura before bed each night. Our DVDs wore out and broke so we're constrained to watching it on Youtube (bleh yuck quality) which makes me sad and I'm tempted to borrow it from someone. I'm guessing... Josh? You have this? Oh I know you must...

Finally, I invite you all to come with me to this week's events which are on the Calendar: (Events including padawans are marked with *)

• Monday, Pecha Kucha Night! Young designers from all fields, each with 20 slides showing for 20 seconds each. Like speed dating for creative inspiration!


• Tuesday*, Boba for all good little girls and boys. You may not come unless you have done all your chores, not made your brother cry, and your yoga teacher says you've done a good job in your poses! :)


• Wednesday, Bliss and real Jazz. Bring your sketchbook!


• Thursday morning*, Olde Town Arvada Farmer's Market (morning trip). Apples and pears and fresh lettuce - maybe new jam for you, if you push Syd on the swings so I don't have to.


• Friday, conversational spanish happy hour. (Oh c'mon - your spanish can't be any worse than MINE!)

Please call or txt me about coming with me/us - love to have you, invitation open to all!