Vamp

I haven't written here in a bit, well I have but not posted them. Mostly because some of it was just angry rantings of injustice and I have so much to say but none of the words come out right. Anyway... since this is mostly a personal diary of sorts, it doesn't really matter.
So apparently I'm surfing through Netflix, looking at 80's cult movies, and guess what?
I stumble upon a movie, in fact the very first movie I remember seeing!
Now I know it's name... It was a monster (mostly vampire) movie of which my parents didn't believe I'd remember. Ha to that!
I was about 6 that year... The movie was called Vamp and its supposed to be funny and frightening, or vice versā.
It's hard to believe that while I'm unable to paint (because of a sprained hand caused by work) and I just happen to peruse the hundreds of movies that Netflix has, and the simple fact that I never look up horror (as I really don't like such things), that I'd actually recognize the title while looking at it, which I only vaguely did. Actually I recognized the summery of it a little and decided that I'd skip ahead and take a look at the end, because that's the only part of this movie I recognize.
I have a feeling that I spent most of it peering through my fingers.
Well I must say that it is rather racy in the beginning... I still can't believe that my parents would take me to see this. Yikes!
It's kind of a really weird movie.
~ Your Pal A.L.

Location:Pompano, FL

Vacation's vacation...

I must say, I love having family visit, but what I terribly hate is all the prep work beforehand!
Why is it that we work ourselves to a frenzy, neither eating nor sleeping, solely to impress people who don't really care what your place looks like and are just glad to be seeing you.
Yes they really don't care, well except maybe to gossip to the family... but really, it's not like everyone else doesn't know how you usually keep your domicile.
Be honest, your close relatives have already warned them about the unusual things you keep in the fridge, or that your a week behind on laundry, (Always!) They have already talked about the piles of books in the bookshelves that haven't been dusted off since you bought them (decades ago) and put them there with full intentions of reading them, as you're still waiting for the right moment or mood. ;P
So why frazzle yourself to a thin piece of thread while you can just work on the important stuff like the bathroom and kitchen, then vacuuming... As long as they have clean sheets and towels, and you have enough good quality groceries to feed them (as well as clean plates), then they will be right as rain and totally happy to just go out and chill with you, which is what they came here to do.

Yes, don't be like me, who went on a three day lets clean everything in sight and still go to work, and only eat when the stomach complains with a volcanic earth-quaking sort of pain, and sleep only the required 4 hours a day but not exactly consecutively, sort of manic and neurotic binge of getting everything done all at once, before anyone complains about anything! As I know, this way will only lead to ruin and a happy reunion followed by you fainting on your bed and them wondering what kind of short-lived whirlwind you are, as they invent something to do while you snore horribly.
After all that prep, they'll just start the gossip about how you sleep too much because your life is incredibly boring, instead of how you were so excited that you wouldn't let them get a moment of rest and talked all night because you missed them. (Unless like my family, they live in another time-zone and are so tired themselves that they appreciate the early night. I know I'm a lucky bastard, lol!)
Remember, it's very important that they get some time with you, especially that first night which will set a tone before the rest of the week starts to zoom by...
My suggestion, get started on cleaning a month before (or earlier) that way you have plenty of time just to clean the main stuff as all the little details like wiping the baseboards was done last week... but then again that is not the way of a procrastinator. ;-P

~ Your Pal A.L.

Location:Anywhere

New Beginnings...

Many things are changing for me. Today was my first day working in an office. It was good and I'm learning a lot. I have also been crocheting more complicated pieces.
Art... Well I'm improving my skills and I'm hoping that I will make a difference in the world with it.
I've been working on a project for a children's book... colorful, swirly and sweet creatures. I only hope that I can get the story collaborated with my sister, because I'm a better painter than writer. (＾ｰ^)ノ



~ Your Pal A.L.

Crabby...

I've been feeling a little crabby lately (as you all can see)...

(Both are works in progress.)
The first one has taken weeks instead of days to get to this point. It's done in acrylic on a canvas sheet, while the watercolor one only has four hours put into it (so far.)

I am tired of painting the first one and also needed a study to get down all the little details before I paint them with acrylics, so I started this little watercolor last night. Originally I was planning to give my friend a crab done in pastel, but my bad cat decided to ruin it. Sasha loves to mess with my art, especially ones done in pastels! I didn't even get a picture of it. (｡-_-｡)
Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of making another pastel crab, as that one took me months of drawing and frustration, scrapping work after work to get it were I wanted it to go... I had the idea for it, but trying to put a concept onto paper is difficult sometimes, especially with visually complicated creatures like a crab. Then I started an acrylic one, but it was too small so I stopped painting it after getting the concept down. (I'll finish that one another time.) I started this much larger acrylic painting when I got laid off from my last job,but it is also taking too long to finish, mostly because acrylic painting takes layers to make it visually work well, and let's face it I'm a bit of perfectionist when it comes to my work.
My friend's birthday is in two months but he's been waiting for a long time already so it must get done soon! I do believe I may do at least one other watercolor, this time in many vibrant colors and give him whichever one looks the best. He's among my best friends so I do not mind the extra work... the challenge has been awesome!
It's funny though... I never thought I'd paint this difficult creature, as it has a very complicated structure, which took a year's worth of research just to get its armor down pat. (Some of that research was really good, especially with butter! lol) While it's general shape wasn't hard to draw, the structure of each piece of its exoskeleton and how it all fits together was difficult to master. I believe that after I'm done, I'll owe my friend a big thank you for liking crabs so much that he wanted me to paint him one, because that crustacean has so much character.
(^_−)−☆


~ Your Pal A.L.

Apparently, I really like snails.



~ Your Pal A.L.

I got laid off yesterday!

I am still in a bit of shock, probably because I've never been fired nor laid off before. I had a bad feeling when I went into the office, although I was hoping that I would have escaped the chopping block as I had already been interviewed for a permanent position, but alas no... So I went home sad, especially since I had plans for the rest of the week and was formulating an art museum visit with my best friends as well as a few other things. Now I'm not sure... I'm applying for work but what do I do in the mean while? I've never been a fan of unemployment and I don't want to ask for hours at my other job, as they are not reliable, hence why I got another one earlier.

I did leave on good terms and wouldn't mind being rehired by them if they are hiring again, but this just makes me think about what I really would like to finish and do with myself, retail isn't it. I'd rather learn about management and change where I work or how I work... I'd like to get a secure job. What's really sad is that I enjoy working but the people who hate it are the ones with the job... That they let go of a promising employee but saved the jobs of a few who don't meet company standards, let alone exceed them as I tried to do, and who actually complain about what they had. God they really have it good there and don't even realize it!

Anyway, I've applied for something already, so God willing... :)

And the fly has it...

Today I spent time out bored on my computer at a coffee house. I basically had nothing to do on my day off, and no ideas for a piece to work on. I have crocheted for a few weeks and was far too tired to work on that... so I turned the computer on and enjoyed my half-price, full-calorie Mocha chocolate cookie frappuccino.
I started playing a puzzle game on the computer, but was still pretty bored for a long while. Then something interesting caught my attention. A lone fly with red eyes and an orangey mouth was sucking away at the top of the chair next to me... Gross you say, well not really. He was actually really cool, for a fly.
He seemed very brave since I could actually take out my phone and snap a few pics of him. I literally got within inches of him, and although that is a bit careless for a fly, after all I could have hit him, he just seemed to trust that I wouldn't.

No I left that fly on the chair, keeping my eyes on him and getting memorized by his beauty... Yes I'm serious, he was a beautiful example of his species, with iridescent specks glittering about his violet-green body and those orangey-red eyes on his face. I never really looked at these creatures before, always finding them icky, but this time I looked and found that they are not ugly at all. Odd yes, but also rather pretty.
I let him fly on to my frappe, after all what was left was for the trash, and then took a few more close ups. He really didn't belong in this cafe, sure there's plenty of food, but there's no adventure for the soul...

Therefore I picked up the cup and walked to the door, as he took a ride. I wonder what he thought of me as I moved him about, watching him watching me? Did he know I was about to set him free on a partly sunny, slightly rainy day? I'm not sure, but when we got outside I gave the cup a slight shake and he leapt up into the air with a "wtf" attitude, hovering in front of me as if I broke some unspeakable bond, and so I left him there. I threw out the cup and walked around to the other door, shutting him out from the coffee house.
Then I was inspired to jot this chance encounter and understanding down on paper, so that he may spend an eternity on his favorite chair, buzzing about people and the flavors to be had.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Starbucks, FL