ADD or multitasker...

Or Mom who's time is just super valuable?

Definitely the third, though the first two are likely as well.

When I am likely to get stuck in the car waiting, waiting in a waiting room, likely to find myself early anywhere or really have no idea where my day will take me, I've created the habit of packing a sketchbook, my Adventures of Sherlock Holmes hardcover (or both!) in a tote and putting it in my car.

Yesterday my son fell asleep on the way home from the Museum of Science. He was badly in need of the nap, my arm problems require I not carry him, so I was happy to make use of the time by doing a third swallowtail butterfly postcard. I did the entire inking of the postcard in one sitting in the driver's seat of my car. Extremely satisfying use of sitting time!

Today my car inspection and oil change needed to be done. I am now happily closer to finishing my book. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing draws me in like few others. The voice that he has created for Dr. Watson is lovely and clear. I think the mechanics thought it weird such a nice book (I take off the paper covers from hard cover books. They look richer and older in their real covers) in such a setting, but these guys have no idea how impossible it is for me to read Sherlock Holmes at home with 2 whiny cats and a rambunctious child. I can blog at home because I can constantly pause... but pausing often while I'm reading frustrates me and leads to mini tantrums  at the boys the fourth or fifth time they've distracted me into rereading the same line.

I bring the trash to the dumpster on my way to other places (the grocery store, doctors appointments, picking up Sebastian from school). I run washers and dryers on my way out the door to errands. I do neck exercises while I drive (actually the best place to do this one for me). I call for refills of prescriptions while I grocery shop, I vacuum during commercials. I did Wii Yoga with my son around cooking our dinner tonight (chicken and Garden Delight rotini). The only time today where my mind wasn't in two places at once was while I was in the coffee shop before picking up Sebastian drawing out the sleeping Jaguar. I stopped at Starbucks instead of going home because at home I wouldn't have drawn - I would've been pulled in by the overflow of stuff that I need to find places for in our apartment. I would've been disappointed and felt unaccomplished. Instead, I had an hour of single-minded thought and a beautiful black and white 4 by 6 of a sleeping Jaguar to show for it.

I just wonder how many other people travel with books/sketchbooks/games "just incase I find myself with extra time".

Mean What You Say

...And Know What You Said.

So over the weekend a really energetic woman at an art exhibit asked me "What Nationality are you?".
This is still making me roll my eyes. I'm American. Born and raised in New York State. But, being kind and being that we were both adult women dressed up for an event, I answered what she MEANT to ask me, "What ethnicity/race are you?" I wish it were polite to use the word "race" in conversation, but it seems to have fallen out of style and I don't see it turning around to come back. What race am I would be the most direct and correct question. The best acceptable choice of words is "What is your ethnicity?". "What is your nationality?" just grinds my gears. I'm not sure when it became acceptable to ask someone their ethnicity in chit chat, first time small talk, especially when it's NOT a date, but I've had this happen to me since at least as early as 7 years old. I remember being asked and not being sure what they were asking, so the adult rephrased "Are you Indian or Asian?" Yes, unfortunately I know first hand that adults ask children stupid questions. Unfortunately I've seen other children squirm since under that same question.

If it's not PC to say "retarded" (even though I use it as it was defined in regards to health!), why the hell is it acceptable for adult white men and women to ask people they don't know what their race is? If you're not filling out a medical questionnaire or a census taker then it's none of your business. If you're a Census taker I'm going to refuse to answer the question (and now they aren't allowed to guess and put down what they think is correct either!). I'm proud of my facial features that might draw one to notice, but if I questioned a white person if they were white they'd be confused and perhaps offended.

Yes this happens a lot. I think it happens most often to those who are thought/look/are confused for being Hispanic. And even then a large part of Hispanics are assumed to be black first.... I so have to stop going down that rabbit hole 'cause that lack of cultural understanding is astounding. (But Latino and Hispanic are, technically, not necessarily the same!!!)

Americans butcher language like no one else. My race is different than my ethnicity. This is true for many people in all sorts of combinations. Yet, all too often the two words are treated as identical. Now more and more "nationality" is used in place of either correct word. It bothers me (as if you didn't already notice!).

I am not nearly as wordy as my husband. I do, however, try to say what I mean as clearly as possible. So while my speech is rather plain, I am careful, especially with people I don't know, to try not and be an idiot, offend, or put them off. If I am charged about a particular subject and you decide to stick around in my workspace, then whatever you get is your own fault, but generally, especially at a gathering of strangers, I thought race, religion and politics were suppose to be kept to a minimum. Am I the only one who was taught that? Does anyone else get the race question? (And Caucasian is a race, Jewish is an ethnicity &/or religion... I love my Jewish friends but when you insist you're not white, you're Jewish, you're missing the question.)

Not Suitable for Minors

"Your inability to follow clear simple directions should not hinder my process toward my goals."
oh but how it does.

I wanted to write today about the studio - the plus and minus points of friendliness and the idiotic mistakes people make in conversation that point to low EQ.

Instead I'm pissed and unable to do anuthing about it - and my headache is aggrivated - because my specialists office can't follow simple directions (Do NOT call in my script, I have to shop around for a pharmacy that might have some of the medication left! Please mail the script to me at my home address.) and now not only do I not have a physical script (a month later!!!!) but I also now keep getting stupid calls from Caremark because they want to be positive I know that they can not fill my prescription and they are recieving no reply to their correspondence with my specialists office.

FUCK ALL OF YOU DUMB PEOPLE.
You have record of correspondence from me. Both of them do. Doctor's office: do your damn job and reply to the pharmacy and come up with an alternative treatment for me because in the meantime my personal life, my marriage, is going through hell because I am only half a human being.
Pharmacy idiots: I GET IT! However, I already have an appointment to see my doctor at the end of this month, I can't see her sooner, I've already acknowledged everything you've told me AND I DIDN'T SEND YOU THE SCRIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Stop calling me. Lose my phone number. Kindly fuck off.


....5 minutes later...
Dr's office just called me apologizing and has faxed Express Scripts/CVS a response basically stating that the script was sent to them in error, stop contacting their patient immediately, and for future reference there is no real substitute for Midrin so kindly bugger off. Jennifer is now back on my good side. This means if those idiots call me again I'm going to get all the info I can from them, talk to a supervisor again, and report it as harassment to the Better Business Bureau. 


And also probable carpal tunnel plus headaches makes a very grumpy, very unlovable, very unaccomplished artist. Open Studios is this weekend but even just typing this is more strain on my wrist than I can hide the pain of. 4 more postcards completed by Saturday? Yeah... sadly not gonna happen. Pain doesn't cause depression, inability to do things due to severe pain causes depression.
And if a pain patient admits to depression guess what - they stop treating pain and dope you up against the depression... which doesn't go away because you're still in pain...
Oh my how the ways Spring can suck

Thanks

Though rice paper project attempt one is quite a failure (but at least my hands aren't stained!!!) I'm happy because, like in science, there are no real failures - only lessons.

Thank you to a soldier in Afghanistan for making me feel more motivated to keep at it today. I'm so sorry you're not stateside with your son, but I'm happy you're still the same great guy I knew and not as jaded/angry/hopeless as others I've known who've fought overseas.

Thank God

I thank whatever gods may be 

 For my unconquerable soul. 

 I am the master of my fate.

 I am the captain of my soul.

~Nelson Mandela

Blue Love (aka: What the difference a frame makes)

This is going to be another post who's thoughts in-depth will have to be revisited and expanded another time 'cause I have to write quick to help fix a mega block castle.
(update: added photo of work thanks to Marcus Griep Photography but still not a lot of time to expand the idea.!)

My most recent piece of completed artwork, Blue Love, can serve well as a metaphor for life. How we frame things, both figuratively and literally, can make an amazingly huge difference in how it is received.

Viewpoint is important. Context does count.

Why does Blue Love remind me of this?
Simply, on it's own it was whimsical but I didn't see why M liked it so much.
Matted it was marketable, but I still didn't like my own work as much as M did. I was merely contented with it enough not to hide it away.

 Matted and framed, like a valued piece of art, I absolutely love it. It looks finished with the frame and it was that incomplete feeling that left me less than gratified with the piece. The frame doesn't alter the composition at all, it just gives it a platform from which to be better appreciated.

Spring Cleaning?

 > >This is so true - Why being an adult can really suck. < <

And that, essentially, wonderfully, sums up my afternoon.
Except that I don't believe I nearly got as much truly accomplished in 4 hours as the spazzing cartoon did.
Damnit.

I have a pile of clothes, of my son's old clothes, to go try and trade in for new used clothes for him tomorrow.
This pile is still only 1/3 the size of the boxed pile of his old clothes I can't bring myself to part with yet?
What the hell is wrong with me?


The cartoon I should (and will eventually do for myself) will be similar to the Hyberbole and a Half one I linked to above (if I ever get the time AND a usable scanner... which is a rant in and of itself!) but my strip will be about the ridiculous struggle to get rid of my son's old clothes but be practical and sentimental at the same time. Practical and Sentimental at the same time. Do you hear that? Can you see that my problem is obvious and ridiculous from the onset? I think part of being an adult all too often is setting yourself up for failure.

F*ck.

And now, with laundry half done, closet cleaning half done, dishes half done, general cleaning half done, post not finished and no dinner cooked I must go. I not only have to go pick up my son but our cat literally threw up half way through this list of half dones. F*ck. Guess general cleaning isn't even half done now.