Yes, I've been Missing In Action, but there was a good reason. I lost my DSL connection, and it took them a week to figure out it wasn't my modem or interior phone lines. So my ISP contacted Qwest to get them to check the exterior lines. And something is wrong. And Qwest is mighty reluctant to fix it, because it involves effort or something. About this time it was 9 days without any Internet, and I was Not Happy. So my ISP gave me a dial up connection while they slug it out with the evil phone empire.
I may come out of this rather twitchy. If not from the antique dial up sound, as it scratches and whines its way to some pathetic connection speed, to the fact that I have to load Gmail in basic HTML, and can't download music, do research, let alone watch Hulu. Who knew so much of the interesting parts of my life were tied to a fast connection?
I've also discovered my 17 inch laptop is great for doing artwork and watching movies on, not so great when tethered to a phone cord and propped up on my knees. It's like having a perpetual 7 pound paperweight. Don't even get me started on the trip to the library last weekend to use their Internet. From the plastic wrapped keyboards to the coughing, hacking drunk next to me, my inner Monk was severely traumatized.
I'm up to Day 12 with no DSL. I keep telling myself there are people in third world countries without any Internet... until I get contacted by a friend who's presently living in one of those third world countries, and has a better connection than I did. Even with DSL. Is there such a thing as a third world state?
On the bright side, I've mopped my Corgi footprinted kitchen floor three times, and carded and spun a whole bunch of wool, including a Leicester/Alpaca/Corgi blend I plan on making into a pair of winter mittens. And I could always check my personal email from work, so I guess I'll have to stop muttering about the IT staff. I even got a bunch of books from my TBR pile read, and wrote one essay on personal mysticism and The Cloud of Unknowing, so it hasn't been all bad. Suffice to say, though, if I want to be cut off from the Internet, I prefer to do it on my own terms. Which means knowing I can plug back in and not be able to knit 12 rows on my socks while I wait for the little blue "You are connected to the rest of the world at pathetically laughable speeds" emblem to appear in my tray.It's shaped like a turtle. Lying on its back. Comatose. Or at least catching some really intense Zs.
Showing posts with label problem children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label problem children. Show all posts
01 November 2009
14 June 2008
Orc Horse, Too
Why? Because I should be doing other things. Like working on a print for a Baren Exchange. Which is usually when I'm at my most creative, when I can't work on what I need to work on - Otherwise known as The Procrastinator's Paradox. "Whatever project you are working on at the time, will be superseded by another, far more interesting project - with no deadline."
Okay, back to work. That woodblock isn't going to carve itself. Although it would be cool if it did ... and I'd have to renew my Psychic Friends Network membership ... and still probably get splinters.
Okay, back to work. That woodblock isn't going to carve itself. Although it would be cool if it did ... and I'd have to renew my Psychic Friends Network membership ... and still probably get splinters.
21 May 2007
27 April 2007
I summon Yssrs, the Orc-Gnome
Dear Scott,
Get writing or the awesome power of Yssrs, the Orc-Gnome shall be unleashed on thy ass.
Sincerely,
Yer Fans.
Im in Ur hwase, reedin Ur book
Get writing or the awesome power of Yssrs, the Orc-Gnome shall be unleashed on thy ass.
Sincerely,
Yer Fans.
25 March 2007
Equal Time
The cat complained that he wasn't getting any blog time, that those darn Corgis were sucking it all up. He even agreed to pose for the portrait. This is Anubis, the cat that thinks he's a dog. (The cat-headed dog instead of the dog headed person?)
He even comes when he's called, which is more than the Corgis do at times...
He even comes when he's called, which is more than the Corgis do at times...
21 February 2007
Got Corgis?
Well, it's one way to keep the gnomes at bay. Gnomes can't handle that much cute.
Any animals in your stories, real or created? I have horses, of courses... dogs, rats, tigers, camels and llamas of a sort. The usual assortment of edible critters. Surprisingly, no cats. Yet. My OSH cat, Anubis, has lodged a formal complaint. Of course it sounded suspiciously like his "I'm starved feed me damn it the service in this place stinks" yowl, so I'll have to investigate further. And photograph.
17 February 2007
15 January 2007
Mutations
If this doesn't inspire me to write Science Fiction, nothing will. Courtesy of my brother, who took up mushroom growing. Why couldn't he just stick to microbrewing? (Thanks for the pics, Carl. I'll be having nightmares for... minutes.)
Shitake Mushroom starter with snowmen. I think the plate adds just the right surreal touch, also.
Then there is this. Pearl Oyster Mushroom wannabes. If that doesn't scream SciFi Channel Movie of the Week, nothing does.
So where do you find your story inspirations? (And no, I did not find my last short story plot in a bowl of alphabet soup.)
10 January 2007
Tagged by Scott, Who Needs A Good Thwacking
I've been Orc-cootied…errr, tagged by Scott Oden to name "5 Crazy Things About Me".
That's kinda tough. I'm not a very wild and crazy person. As a matter of fact, I'm downright boring, I think. So following Scott's lead, I went with quirky. And stupid. I can do quirky and stupid.
1. When I lived in Italy I passed on the chance to go to Egypt on my fall vacation… because it involved getting nine shots. Instead I took a train by myself up to Amsterdam to go see a painting. (Like that wasn't more dangerous?) Yeah, you heard me. A painting. Wheatfield with Crows. Hey, it was a Van Gogh. To reiterate, I skipped a side trip to Egypt to go visit the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum. Then I turned around on Christmas break and hitchhiked across Sicily to see Greek temples. What did I know, I was like, 20, okay?? Get off my back.
2. In the Army Corps of Engineers, my job was blowing things up. (To be fair, we built things too, but it wasn't as much fun). I like alien killing video games, or war/covert ops games. I read military history for fun. I love Rome- the TV program, the era, the Byzantine parts, the whole Empire ambiance. I have a purple belt in karate. I'm the most non violent person I know -- or I'm schizophrenic, I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I also have a counterculture hippie side that is into Tarot, aromatherapy candles, and Buddhism. Go figure.
3. I never was comfortable giving people orders even though I was a military officer. I still don't. I'm far too polite. (I even say please and thank you to the dogs. They seem to appreciate it.) The problem with being polite is it comes back to bite you. I'm taking mean lessons. My best friend went so far as to give me a new motto, soon to be emblazoned on a coffee cup. "No good deed goes unpunished."
4. I like toys. Still. I have a collection of action figures, model planes, helicopters and cars in my office, including a 12 inch tall Sgt. Lee Ermey (Mail Call) action figure that spouts Marine talk,
and Butters from South Park complete with Underpants Gnome. I also have Happy Meal toys, and a foot tall Spongebob Squarepants doll my son won in a crane grab. A hyena that laughs from the Discovery Store. Origami desk calendars. A set of scale model CAT construction equipment painted in military camouflage. LOTR action figures arranged in a cheerleader pyramid. (Elves on bottom) A stress ball in the shape of a grenade. A D&D campaign map as a mouse pad. You get the idea.
5. Much to my teenagers dismay, I can whoop their butts at Halo and Republic Commando. Yeah, I still play games. Mostly video games, but board games, chess, and RPG's when I find willing victims. I tried playing my oldest child's favorite video game, Katamari, but rolling the world up in a ball didn't do anything for me. Neither does youngest child favorite Need for Speed, Various Incarnations, although racing willy nilly through the streets in a muscle car being chased by cops does have its appeal. And he starts driving next year? *shudders* I prefer the simple game pleasures of frag grenades, assault rifles, and kamikaze charges. Who knew?
I hereby tag KC, Carla, and Linda. You're it. Go, girls!
That's kinda tough. I'm not a very wild and crazy person. As a matter of fact, I'm downright boring, I think. So following Scott's lead, I went with quirky. And stupid. I can do quirky and stupid.
1. When I lived in Italy I passed on the chance to go to Egypt on my fall vacation… because it involved getting nine shots. Instead I took a train by myself up to Amsterdam to go see a painting. (Like that wasn't more dangerous?) Yeah, you heard me. A painting. Wheatfield with Crows. Hey, it was a Van Gogh. To reiterate, I skipped a side trip to Egypt to go visit the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum. Then I turned around on Christmas break and hitchhiked across Sicily to see Greek temples. What did I know, I was like, 20, okay?? Get off my back.
2. In the Army Corps of Engineers, my job was blowing things up. (To be fair, we built things too, but it wasn't as much fun). I like alien killing video games, or war/covert ops games. I read military history for fun. I love Rome- the TV program, the era, the Byzantine parts, the whole Empire ambiance. I have a purple belt in karate. I'm the most non violent person I know -- or I'm schizophrenic, I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I also have a counterculture hippie side that is into Tarot, aromatherapy candles, and Buddhism. Go figure.
3. I never was comfortable giving people orders even though I was a military officer. I still don't. I'm far too polite. (I even say please and thank you to the dogs. They seem to appreciate it.) The problem with being polite is it comes back to bite you. I'm taking mean lessons. My best friend went so far as to give me a new motto, soon to be emblazoned on a coffee cup. "No good deed goes unpunished."
4. I like toys. Still. I have a collection of action figures, model planes, helicopters and cars in my office, including a 12 inch tall Sgt. Lee Ermey (Mail Call) action figure that spouts Marine talk,
and Butters from South Park complete with Underpants Gnome. I also have Happy Meal toys, and a foot tall Spongebob Squarepants doll my son won in a crane grab. A hyena that laughs from the Discovery Store. Origami desk calendars. A set of scale model CAT construction equipment painted in military camouflage. LOTR action figures arranged in a cheerleader pyramid. (Elves on bottom) A stress ball in the shape of a grenade. A D&D campaign map as a mouse pad. You get the idea.5. Much to my teenagers dismay, I can whoop their butts at Halo and Republic Commando. Yeah, I still play games. Mostly video games, but board games, chess, and RPG's when I find willing victims. I tried playing my oldest child's favorite video game, Katamari, but rolling the world up in a ball didn't do anything for me. Neither does youngest child favorite Need for Speed, Various Incarnations, although racing willy nilly through the streets in a muscle car being chased by cops does have its appeal. And he starts driving next year? *shudders* I prefer the simple game pleasures of frag grenades, assault rifles, and kamikaze charges. Who knew?
I hereby tag KC, Carla, and Linda. You're it. Go, girls!
19 July 2006
Icarus, Descending
I finished the print for the Nudes print 
exchange ahead of time. This is a first. I usually race down to the wire. Of course, last time, I was ahead of schedule, made 31 prints in three colors, then decided I hated the result and hastily caved a new block. This time I planned things out a little better.
I'm still having trouble with registration. I tried running the print through the little tabletop etching press I got, but the print was about 1.5 inches too long. So I did them all with a baren and still had problems with registration. I build a template on some masonite with cardboard guides for the lino block and the paper, but they still were cattywumpus. Execution is not my strong point...
The picture looks a bit off, because I photographed it with the digital after I taped it to my studio wall. Nothing but the best effects.
The two prints below are my test prints for the finished one. I may do some w
ith just the Icarus and hand color. This one was done with golden
linoleum, Stonehenge natural paper, Daniel Smith black waterbased ink, Daniel Smith yellow ochre waterbased ink, and a Japanese baren to rub the prints. Someday, I'll get to use the press, now that I know how. Adding another felt blanket and a fake block starter made all the difference. Who'd a thunk it?
exchange ahead of time. This is a first. I usually race down to the wire. Of course, last time, I was ahead of schedule, made 31 prints in three colors, then decided I hated the result and hastily caved a new block. This time I planned things out a little better.
I'm still having trouble with registration. I tried running the print through the little tabletop etching press I got, but the print was about 1.5 inches too long. So I did them all with a baren and still had problems with registration. I build a template on some masonite with cardboard guides for the lino block and the paper, but they still were cattywumpus. Execution is not my strong point...
The picture looks a bit off, because I photographed it with the digital after I taped it to my studio wall. Nothing but the best effects.
The two prints below are my test prints for the finished one. I may do some w
ith just the Icarus and hand color. This one was done with golden
linoleum, Stonehenge natural paper, Daniel Smith black waterbased ink, Daniel Smith yellow ochre waterbased ink, and a Japanese baren to rub the prints. Someday, I'll get to use the press, now that I know how. Adding another felt blanket and a fake block starter made all the difference. Who'd a thunk it?
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