Yard Sale Win!

I was going to go on a very deep, introspective monologue about my latest work transition, but honestly I'm just too tired. Finally crashing from this week, I think.

Anyways, this weekend there was a garage sale [in the yard] less than a block away. It turns out that one of the guys who lived there used to own a gallery in Tacoma. Can you tell? I wanted to buy so much more, but I'll be content with these winners.

And by that I mean the painted vinyl. But yes, if you wanted more insight into the deeper workings of my life, on the right you will see my book case of poor lost souls [unread books], topped with a bit of art crap, the Edgar Allen Poe vinyl, a photograph I found [no clue where], a remake of the Gaelic Faodlah, and a charcoal [?] polar bear I demanded from a way-back-when friend. Left side, that's obviously Edward Scissorhands, but just btw, that Tank Girl is actually a Laser Disc, not a record. Yes, they existed, and yes, I have some. No, I can't watch them.

And this is the Godzilla wall I mentioned before. Fair warning, these were gifts for the specialest person ever, and I've got something else on the way. The top is a page from the original story boards, signed by Haruo Nakajima. Underneath that on the left is my art, but on the right, that's a framed and mounted 35mm clip from the original film. At the bottom is a print of the newest film's poster, the retro-styled version. Yes, I feed into his obsessions. And people used to claim I don't give good gifts!!

It's Not so Much a Storm, But Just a Cloud That Lives Inside of Me...

I was just looking for a good lyric to start this off with. I guess if you look at it, it's actually pretty accurate--I'm not the bundle of anger and fury I used to be, but I'm far from 100%. I'm actually doing pretty well these days, aside from dealing with medical and bureaucracy and what not. But it's been too long since I've written, and I had some extra time on my hands.

Anyways, point being. Honestly, I got so into finding good lyrics that I kind of forgot what I was going to write about. Looking forward to moving, of course; we put an application down on a nice place near the college. I can't wait to pack everything up and start fresh.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

I was force-converted to Ubuntu by the kitten and his dad, and holy crap. It's taking some getting used to. Basically, we tried to play Civ5 one night, but my trusty laptop kept crashing... not something I'm used to. They reformatted it and installed Ubuntu and it runs a lot better, but I'm dealing with some moderate frustrations whenever I try to do anything besides surf the net. Currently I'm cycling through music players/media managers, trying to find one that's got the functionality of iTunes and can adequately chew through my 50,000 track library. Yes, 50,000. I'm on my fourth program, but took a break so I didn't break things. I will say though, my computer runs a lot smoother on linux, but I miss my programs.

Thanks to a quote from a sweet gal, I have finished one of my favorite art pieces ever. As soon as I read it, the idea came to me. I'm not sure if she found the quote or it came out of her own skull, but it's amazing and touching and I am really glad I got to do this project. I also finished my mermaid piece [that quote is ee cummings] for Havi and my first "commissioned" artwork for a gal I used to work with. Her first duty station was in Japan, so I had that to work on; she had just moved and told me her living room scheme was red-brown-black. That was plenty of info for me! I'm really enjoying art-ing, with the exception of cutting the ribcage out of tissue paper with an exacto knife... that was tedious. I'm a little bummed that I've put down the yarn for the time being, but it comes and goes. My only complaint is that the weekend never seems to be long enough. Once I finally feel relaxed, I don't feel up to getting things done. But as the rheumatologist said, I guess, "...that's just fibro."

+1 to Constitution

So, geek stuff first, then on to plant stuff.

I have some massive ADD. Mine generally manifests internally; I don't so much have the hyperactivity, just the racing thoughts and distractability. I also have a touch of the OCD:  I love charts, graphs, lists, and apps. So, today I found a great way to improve my life while also staying positive and having a bit of fun. HabitRPG is an online tool with mobile app accessibility that allows you to create goals, daily routines, and habits you want to improve upon. It's built off the RPG model, with exp, health, upgrades, avatars, etc. You can also customize rewards for yourself and tag tasks to organize them. I'm still exploring all the functions, but I HIGHLY recommend it so far! I'm actually racking up exp just for writing this blog post. teehee.

Spent most of today browsing really nifty lighting, storage, and gardening ideas. And other cool DIY stuff like this neat up-cycled photo frame. Y'all know I am a geek for photos and old things, so this would be a great way to put up some more pictures... once we have a room for it. I can't wait for this house thing to happen... I am going to go nuts. In the best way, of course.

So, the Plant That Wouldn't Die. Still isn't dying. I got it really close this time, probably partially due to my tendancy to overwater. I still don't know what the hell it is. Almost all of my other plants have gone on to the great greenhouse in the sky, unfortunately, and I've come to the conclusion that right now I just don't really have the time or focus to keep up with gardening. It's a damn shame because I really do enjoy it. But, I have tried to incorporate some 'hardy' plants into my house in hopes that... I won't kill them. The hanging basket is a variation of English Ivy, which I believe is 'Mint Kolbiri'. Also, Orchids are all the rage here, they're for sale in practically every Safeway and WalMart around. I finally caved and brought one home. After reading the care instructions, I am pretty confident that I won't kill it off. I layered pebbles, cactus dirt, and sheet moss in a pretty glass dish to replant it and am quite pleased with the effect. Now if only I had a nice sanctuary in which to set up a zen corner. 

'And what do we say to Death?'
'Not Today.'

 

I've also added some Lucky Bamboo to my bathroom, a plant I have been dying to buy for quite some time now. Next to that you'll see some dried Eucalyptus, another favorite. It's toxic to kitties, so I have to be careful where I put it. One of my favorite arrangements, or decorations, or whatever you want to call it, is the one below on the right. It's kind of a long story, but it's got a lot of sentimental value. Reader's Digest version: when I was a kid, my dad brought home a 105mm Howitzer shell from work, which I used as a piggy bank. A couple years ago I asked if he could still get them,  and he sneakily and quickly responded simply by sending me one for Christmas. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it, until one day I got the bright idea to stuff it with the Eucalyptus. [Next to it is a shell from the clip for one of the smaller guns used on the AC-130s, but I'm not sure which one]

aaaaaaand, no day is complete without achieving your recommended dosage of kitty cuteness. I wish I had gotten a shot when he first came home because he has grown some, but it will be great to compare when he gets older!