Sunday, November 30, 2008

You Might Be Wondering What I Have Been Up To (or not!)


Honestly, these women do look better in person than they do on this scan! I made a few mistakes while trying to do this, but I had fun anyway. When I got everything painted, I covered the canvas in beeswax. It gives the whole thing a nice sheen. If you want to see all the printing you can click on the picture--it is honking huge, I did not reduce it for uploading as I often do. I want to do some more of these as inspiration strikes. It was a learning process. I learned you ought to kind of plan ahead, that you shouldn't get excited and draw and paint the figures before thinking about and doing the background. In my defense, I am accustomed to working in Photoshop where you can add and remove layers as you go, or you can delete down to the original and start all over again. Anyway, I like them, even though they look a bit spooky!

I've been off my beloved Diet Coke now for 10 days now. I do know it is better for me but I still miss my old friend and snacking buddy. Sniff, sniff. I think the doctor is all right, just maybe a little weird. Lord knows I can't fault a person for being weird! But the evidence from the blood tests was not so good. I'll give you three little hints, no four--sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure--and the accompanying medication, none of it was unexpected. Now I just have to deal with it and decide whether or not I want to take care of myself. Everything can be improved with weight loss, changes in my diet and exercise. In dispensing the prescription for the diabetes, he said "I can give you medicine to help you along. I can't heal you. But you can possibly heal yourself." So, there is hope (there is always some sort of hope). I asked the doctor if it was similar to an addict dealing with a drug addiction, where they often have to reach bottom and decide to do the things necessary to live a healthier life and he agreed that was pretty much the idea. The really sad thing is, I do not feel like I have "hit bottom". I am still sort of in denial. Hopefully that will change.

My nephew came in on Thanksgiving day carrying a brand new Nikon D80 camera, causing me to have a serious lusting spell. I have been wanting a new camera similar to that one.

I think I've decided what I want to take when I can start taking classes at the university. I am thinking about taking one class in the spring semester, but I don't know if I will be able to or not. Anyway, I am going take all my classes with the goal of majoring in Spanish with a minor in Art. Working full time and taking one or two classes a semester, it will probably take several years for me to actually earn a degree, but that is the path I am going to follow. I had three years of Spanish in high school and have always wished I could have continued to learn the language. As for the art, maybe I can learn more about how to draw pictures of women that are not so spooky looking! And I want to learn more about photography. I am pleased to have a goal in my head.

I am still loving my job. It is in some ways, quite the cushy position to have. The people students and faculty) are certainly fun and interesting. Sometimes dealing with the paperwork is a pain in the rear--we have had several people go on conferences and that means paperwork has to be filled out in proper order before and after the trip. It is absolutely amazing how helpless these PhD types can be when confronted with government paperwork! I don't understand half of it myself either. But I can always count on the friendly lady in "travel" to call and correct me when I am wrong. She does not speak, she barks. I don't think she means to be so gruff, it is just that travel is what she does all day long and she can't understand why the rest of us can't get the forms filled out correctly (and she has worked there for a bajillion years and is in an office in a round building with no window and a curved wall covered in brick--that alone ought to be enough to drive anyone crazy, IMO)!

Well, this seems enough info for the day. Possibly there will be more to follow. . .

11 comments:

  1. Those courses sound like fun to me! Good for you for choosing to take good care of yourself, Annie; one day/ one hour at a time.

    Mich

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  2. No freaking way could I ever survive in a building with no windows. I don't even like having to go into my bathrooms in this house because they are inner rooms with no windows. On the other hand, if I ever need to shelter from nuclear fallout, I've got it, lol.
    I keep telling myself I am going to find some classes to take and then I never do. The last time I actually did, it was a photography class that got canceled because the teacher quit a week before class was to start.

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  3. Believe me, you do not want to hit bottom with diabetes before you do what you need to do. Exercise and eating healthy are a lot more fun that trying to paint without your appendages. So snap to, missy!

    We would miss our Annie and we ain't having none of that.

    My word verification was swaterst...as in South Water Street. Does that mean anything to you? Are we receiving messages from cyberspace?

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  4. I'm always happy to see your projects! It's great to see what other people are working on. Beeswax, huh? Hmmmm.....I just happen to have some beeswax.

    Enjoy the cushy job. All jobs should be cushy and fun and include a lady from travel who calls up on the phone and tells you what you did wrong. I would consider her a perk.

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  5. I like the spooky ladies. And the big big scan!

    Good luck on making some lifestyle changes. I'm trying to work on some of the same things. Sounds like we share some of the same genes. ha ha!

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  6. Thanks, Mich! That's the hard part--sticking to the one day/hour at a time!

    Flutterby I agree about the lack of windows. But the windowless bathrooms might come in handy for more than weathering nuclear fallout. If a hurricane or a tornado comes, you'll also be protected. You would probably enjoy taking a class or two.

    Cynthia, yes ma'am, I suppose I will have to snap to--it's also hard to take pictures without appendages (not to mention being blind--my apologies for the dark humor). As for the word verification, maybe that is where we are supposed to meet our fellow aliens??

    Hi Tab! The beeswax is definitely fun and satisfying, but messy at times. I watched a few videos on YouTube and they made it look SO easy!

    The travel lady barking at me is definitely a small price to pay for cushiness!

    Rach Glad you like the spooky ladies! Let's take care of ourselves now so we can be crochety old ladies later!

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  7. I love the way the canvas turned out? I'm guessing you got a heat gun then? It is loads of fun to watch that stuff melt and drip! Sounds like Miss cranky-no windows could use a little travel for herself!
    It's great you decided on some classes. Good for you shooting for that Spanish major! Being bi-lingual today is almost a must.
    And double good for you getting your health on track....I gotta tell you I really think the old poop just hits the fan after fifty.
    Everything goes ka-flooey and nothing works the way it used to! That's my theory and I'm sticking with that one.

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  8. Ayekah I have not yet gotten the heat gun! After watching a few youtube videos, I decided to get one of those flat craft irons first. The heat gun might be better to use, but "ironing" the canvas was a lot of fun. I'll have to tell you about it when we talk...

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  9. You've nudged me in the past, Annie, and now I'm nudging you. Post something, babe.

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  10. They're not spooky -- they're COOL! I love this -- and the beeswax finish is perfect.
    And learning new stuff and trying new things and giving up old vices (if diet drinks could be called that) are always good things.
    :-)

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  11. Thanks for then nudging, Tab. I keep thinking of what I might write, but nothing seems to stick long enough to make it over here!

    Thanks Linda, I think I'll be doing more beeswax in the future! The drinking of the diet drinks sure felt like a vice at times. And not drinking them has done wonders for helping me to cut out the extra snacking I was doing.

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Don't just sit there staring, say something!