Artwork!

There's a neat website for artists to post their artwork called www.deviantart.com, so I went ahead and signed up. There's traditional art, digital art, even poetry and prose. Just about any kind of visual art you can think of. It's quite a little community, and hey, it's free. (You can pay too and get some kind of extra perks, but I didn't do that.) Anyway, I finally got around to posting up some stuff for everyone to enjoy and it's where I'll be putting stuff in the future. Here's my page: The Weasel's DeviantArt Page

Sorry if some of it's hard to see. I'm fiddling with some of the images to make them clearer.

Here's something I drew yesterday in class (or, technically, just outside of class):


Off to Graphic Design...

BIG HONKING ANNOUNCEMENT!

Holy crap, the weasel done got engaged!



Early Saturday afternoon (Mad's birthday), I proposed marriage to Aprille and, inexplicably, she said yes. I was as nervous as a ... well, weasel, but I did it anyway. Being the geek I am, I couldn't just ask her straight out. When I gave her a birthday card, there was a note inside telling her to seek her fortune in the refrigerator. In the fridge was a fortune cookie. There it said to go find her fat cat. Around Cody's neck was a ribbon with another note saying to play that whole "He loves me, he loves me not" game with a flower. It was supposed to end with "he loves me not" and then I got on my knees and handed her her new kitten which had both the ring and the last flower petal on it, but somewhere the petal fell off and the kitten ran away because I was too nervous to hold him, but I guess it was the thought that counted. So, um, we just wanted you to know. Now if we can just get Dave Barry to perform the ceremony... ;)

Anyway, I can scarely believe it myself. Every so often I find myself saying to myself, "wow... I'm engaged!" and grinning like a goober. But I'm happy and she's happy and this is good. We haven't set any kind of dates yet, or determined the details of where and who and how yet, but it's enough to know it will happen.

Wheeee!

Happy MOATie Love Day!

Today is so named on Joshkr's calendar (thanks Josh!) because this is the day one year ago exactly that I met Aprille at a Costco somewhere out in Duarte (I think). The occasion was, of course, a Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson book signing of Peter and the Starcatchers. At the time, of course, I had no idea we would end up together but who can say what life has in store for us? Anyway, I couldn't be happier. She's an amazing wonderful woman who has touched my life in all the best ways. She's gorgeous, brilliant, funny, sweet, kind, and for some reason she even puts up with me. I couldn't ask for anyone better to have come into my life. I love you, my mad scientist!

Yarrr!!!

Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, me hearties! So scrape off them barnacles and practice yer swagger, or I'll be keelhaulin' ye!

Here be Dave Barry's article on the subject, penned about three years ago:

If ye be havin' trouble, try this piratey filter.

Now go shiver some timbers or some such.

It's official!

Pure Dork 43 % Nerd, 34% Geek, 65% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Dork, earning you the title of: Pure Dork. Like our friends Napoleon Dynamite & co. It's not as though you were some whiz-kid in school. Oh, sure, you probably did okay in some classes, but were probably awful in others. Certainly most people thought you were smarter than you thought yourself to be. And it's not that you have some overriding passion, like computers or Star Trek that sets you apart for the crowd, though you likely share some interest in some of those sorts of things. You just like to be yourself, and want to express yourself for who you are. And, really, there's nothing wrong with that. Being who you are often invites scorn, and so it's a difficult thing in a world that rewards conformity. Be proud of your dorkiness, for often it's just another word for individuality. (I'd vote for you!) Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

EDITED: Thanks to Trillian, who got it from Bismuth, who got it from a suspicious moose. (Suspicious Moose WBAGNFARB)

Classes

Well, so far I'm enjoying them, although my Graphic Design course surprised me by saying there's a lab an hour before class. (This wasn't noted in the course catalog) So I'm having to finagle around with my job hours in order to make it.

I got my first assignment in Drawing II graded. We were instructed to draw a chair. So I did. It got an A. Wheee! It's too big to scan so I'll have to take a picture of it and then post it.

My first real assignment in GD I is to design two tickets, as in concert tickets or tickets to a zoo or museum or whatever, using Adobe Illustrator which we barely know how to use. One will be "static" and the other "dynamic" but will otherwise use the same elements. Should be fun. I think I'll make mine tickets to see the Rock Bottom Remainders. I thought about using the Seminal Fluids but that might be a bit much.

Random blatherings

Well, I seem to be peeling a bit from my sunburn last weekend. Where? On the insides of my elbows. That's a new one.

Meanwhile my poor puppy dog has really gnawed one of his paws bad. I'll have to take him to the vet this weekend. The meds they've given him before don't seem to really help. Tonight, I'll wash his paws good, maybe a bit of rubbing alcohol, and put some kind of bandages on to keep him from worrying at it. Poor guy.

In other news, apparently my Graphic Design course has a lab attached to it. It wasn't mentioned in the catalog, so the entire class had to add it. Unfortunately it's an hour before the regular course which means I'll have to do some finagling with my work schedule. And my boss has been out sick for the last week or so. Well, we'll see what happens there.

I'll have to take back my gas rant because a) it could be worse; at least I have a home and a vehicle and a job, unlike those poor folks in Katrina's wake, and b) Southern California isn't actually the highest in the country any more. We're still around $3 and if you look hard, you can find $2.89. Other areas are well over $3. Strange, but I can't complain.

I actually have a bit of homework. I have to draw a chair, and I have to find some ads from magazines. Nothing too tricky I think.

For Halloween, I've decided I want to be a total geek and be a Jedi. I'm going for the Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) look since I'm somewhat tall, have the long hair and facial hair. I'm growing out the beard.

I'm hungry...

Back to School

Well, today is the first day of my second semester in my amazing adventures in community college. I'm taking two classes (I don't think I could handle any more while working full time): Drawing II and Graphic Design I. Basically they're slightly advanced versions of the two class I took in the spring (Drawing I and Basic Two-Dimensional Design). Instead of taking these classes at Los Angeles City College which is quite near where I work, I'm taking these at East Los Angeles College which is quite near where I live. LACC didn't offer these classes at the right times or I would have gone there instead. Fortunately they're part of the same community college district so they should all be transferable. It will take forever to get any kind of degree at this rate, but what can you do? Anyway, my first day is tonight after work. Whee!

Saturday, Aprille and I went to go see the Long Beach Blues Festival which took place in a large field on the campus of Cal State Long Beach. It was lots of fun. We got nicely sunburned but we munched on fruit and cheese and other goodies in the grass. It was kind of an early birthday present. A wonderful weekend was had by all.