Plug 'n Chug

Ursula Vernon has always been one of my favorite reads, as far as blogs go. "And having just engaged in all that backpatting about my success, I spend over a minute panicking that my graphics tablet is broken, only to eventually realize that I am trying to use the stylus on my sketchbook. *sigh* Art: It's All Some Of Us Are Good For." In other news, things are things.

Neighbors

So our next door neighbors visited us the other night to let us know that they were moving, because they didn't want us to be surprised by seeing a For Sale sign going up suddenly in their yard. It's just a typical move: their kids are growing up, they need some more space, and the house they have bought connects backyards with another family members' house, allowing optimum running space for their still-growing dog. It will be a strange feeling, though, watching them leave. I mean, although we are not super-close, we still got along very well with our neighbors. We watched their children growing up. They often came over to help us in our annual scare-the-little-kids haunted yard for halloween. Plus, there was a lot of casual, over-the-fence chatting. They have a great big Yellow Lab, named Cleo, who has sort of become just as much our dog as theirs (the perfect dog ownership, all the perks and none of the responsibility, hehe!). It never failed that I would be away from home forever at school, but as soon as I came home and Cleo caught sight of me, she'd run around the yard all crazy-go-nuts, and I'd go throw sticks for her. I dunno, I suppose having good next-door-neighbors that you get along with is something you can very easily take for granted. I'll miss them, in a vague sort of way.

"Oh, you're just a Late Bloomer"

I've always hated that phrase so much... Because I never think of flowers

Zoo Drawings

I went to the zoo today to do some life drawings of the animals. Why haven't I been doing this sooner??? It was great fun, and I got some really good quick sketches. If you wanna take a look, here they are... http://www.wertle.com/gallery/v/art/sketches/zootrip/ Here are a couple of my better ones... Gorillas... Rhinos... Fruit bats..

Sing sing sing

Every now and again, when I get busy or distracted or whatever, I totally forget that my computer has the capability to play music. Then when I suddenly remember, it's like a dance party for 3 days.

Okay, I admit, I jumped the gun, along with the rest of the world. http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/2005/03/09/news/11086999.htm The moral of the story is, the media sucks.

Science Therapy

Yesterday was considerably more energizing than the few days before it. I met up with LSC Scott and Mariah at the Louisville Science Center, where we did romp about our former domain. We surprised Julie (the volunteer coordinator and our old "boss") by all showing up together, and it aw a fine reunion. We even ran into even more former volunteers from our time, and it was all joy and play and laughter. Being around those guys, and around the Science Center in general, was just the sort of energizing boost I needed, and I'm really glad we got together. I miss the Science Center. That was definitely one of the highest points for me emotionally. It was just such a wonderful playground, full of wonderful, wacky, brilliant, playful people. I remember when I first started going there, I was so shy and timid, as I'd signed up for the program all by myself. But then there were so many magical people. People like Marsh, who taught me that off-the-wallness was perfectly acceptable and liberating. Or Jared Schuetter, who planted within me the seed of obsessive Hawaiian shirt wearing. And of course the people I met in the program: Scott, Mariah, Kathleen, Devon, and billions more, all some of the most fantastic and amazing people I've ever met so far. We ruled that Science Center during our time. RULED IT. Spreading and wallowing in the joy and fun that was SCIENCE and play. It was like an imaginary world that I got to escape to as often as I pleased, only it was populated with real people who were just as imaginative as me. Alas, I should never have strayed from the path of SCIENCE! ^_^ Perhaps I should learn something from this. *note* I was never afraid to dance when among those of the LSC After our joyful reunion, I went to my safe place--Brendan's and Maria's--and almost promptly fell asleep, the first bit of healing sleep I'd had in days.