Drinking, walking, oblivion and 263

I've been walking on our treadmill lately.  Not the calm walk-after-dinner kind of walk, but the wring the sweat out of you and let you enjoy the endorphins afterwards kind of walk.  I can't do it outside 'cause it's too smoky from all the fires and it'd kill me.  I've walked in the past, and had good times thinking up new plot twists for the comic while I was doing it.  But not this time.  I'm actually working to push myself a bit.  I'm trying to get in shape, and the extra effort seems to push the happy-comic-thoughts right out of my head.  I've heard of people drinking themselves to oblivion, but this excercise thing really drives out anything you might want to be thinking about.  You can even get the nausea afterwards if you want, but I'm trying to avoid that this time 'round.

The whole reason for my get in shape and eat right push is my most recent visit to the doctor.  I had a fun blood test and my cholesterol came back at 263.  Great fun when your dad's side of the family has a long history of serious heart attacks.  So in order to avoid medicine, or at least limit my need for it I'm doing the walking thing.  Who knows, I might live longer.

In other death related news Michael Turner, the comic book artist, died just the other day.  He was a big inspiration to me.  I have posters of his art up all over my home office.  It makes me sad to think he won't be sharing his art with us any more.

Home Again

Disneyland, as they say, was the happiest place on earth... except when it wasn't. A screaming feisty contrary four year old can make for some un-fun moments. On the whole we didn't let her ruin our day and managed to have a good time anyway. Best ride there: Pirates of the Caribbean for it's quick line and long cool ride.

Picked up a few pins while I was there. The Mickey-skull and tinkerbell are my favorites.


We cam home last night from San Diego. Our plane was delayed, then it had mechanical difficulties before we took off and they had to get us a new plane, but finally we're home. I'm so tired. I need a vacation from my vacation.

If I believed in gremlins... Oh my God. got up to go to work this morning and happened to look on top of my Xbox360 only to find... the stylus for my graphics tablet. The one I had spent around four hours looking for before we left. It would have been harder for it to be more in plain sight or more in the middle of my office. ARGH! But I'm happy that I have it back. As it turns out a new Wacom stylus would cost about $60. Yikes.

A Star Trek Experience

Went to the Star Trek Exhibition at the San Diego Aerospace museum.  It was a fun day.  Dad went with me and the rest of the family went to the Zoo, which was next door.  Anna is very taken with the Elephants, and Elizabeth loves the Big cats.

I have to say that while the Star Trek Exhibit was fun, I was kind of expecting more.  It seemed like it was over quickly for how much we (dad) shelled out for tickets.  

I think the most fun was the section on the 'next generation' tv show.  They had a section of corridor where you couldn't see anything but Star Trek.  You could imagine for just a moment that you were there.  Except everything seemed a little small... the ceiling felt low and the doors felt small.  I hate to nit-pick, 'cause I did enjoy myself.  But I kept thinking wouldn't it be better if...

After the Trek tour we got to wander through the Aerospace museum.   They had aircraft and memorabilia from the Wright brothers through today.  I especially liked the Zeppelins.   I just love the idea of these huge floating airships.  I guess they're kind of reminiscent of the flying ships from my stories, or the flying castles, etc.

Late this evening Mom and Dad watched the kids while Angelina and I went out.  We had dinner at a nice restaurant called the Elephant Bar.  Anna would have loved it for the elephants alone. Afterwords we did out usual thing when we're having a night on the town and went to a bookstore.  I don't know if it's 'cause we're nerds, or boring or just unimaginative.  As you might expect we bought books, and laughed and had a good time together.

Tomorrow: Disney Land.

A Pickley Revelation

So I was eating dinner with the folks, and came to the realization that there is a kind of pickle that I like to eat: Sweet Pickle Relish.

If you have been following along, you may or may not have noticed my obsession with pickles. I don't have a good reason, and I know it's irrational, but I love brining pickles into any conversation... just because.

At the Beach in San Diego

Picture from here.

I love being at the beach.  Not sunbathing or anything like that.  I just enjoy the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand between my toes. 

There is something deep and mysterious about the ocean.  I don't know if it's the immense size, or the continuous energy of the pounding waves.  If a piece of the ocean, it's spirit if you will, could walk up out of the waves what would that being be like?  That's the question I've wrestled with in thinking about the Elemental characters in my stories.  Durin especially perplexes me.  How can my character embody the mysterious depth and chaotic pounding of the unseen waves that are the essence of Magic?  How would that kind of being see humans, or interact with us?  So I'm here in San Diego, enjoying the weather and the waves...  and pondering.

Gone to San Diego

The whole family is going down to San Diego for a week.  I'm typing this from the Sacramento Airport while we're waiting the mandatory two hours for our plane to take off.  Going through the Security Theater here at the airport went smoothly.  We feel properly inconvenienced and therefor safer.

The down side to the whole trip preparation is I've misplaced the stylus for my Wacom tablet.  I spent a number of hours last night looking for it around my home office, and even called a buddy at work to check my desk there for it... no luck.  So, not much published drawing this week, which I had been looking forward to getting something out.  I suppose it will have to wait.  Not like readers of my web-comic are expecting anything different.  -sigh-

I tend to get obsessive when I can't find things.  I have so much junk and I'm so disorganized you'd think it'd happen more often.  

My only other hope is that Anna didn't run off with it.  It's happened before... and I didn't search ALL her toy drawers... hmmm.