sketches - July 0609

July 4Th was one of those days...

One of those totally awesome days! Yeah! Seemed like all the planets aligned, well, almost anyway. The day started out with waking up around 9:30am. The sun was bright and the sky was totally clear. The Warden was in town so we decided to have a late planned/impromptu BBQ. As expected, with this late of a notice, brought up the night before, not a lot of people showed. But that's ok, less to cook;) The original plan was to do some BBQ'n and then hit the range, but because BBQ'n takes a lot of time and by the time we would have been done eating and cleaning up, we would have miss the window for the range visit. They close at 4pm. So, we decided to do the opposite, and everything worked out perfect.

We hit the range and was also accompanied by Rave Boy and GF. The Warden had brought down the Kimber as well as his 38, SIG and TRP. We got two lanes and while I started hitting the targets in front of me, The Warden was instructing Rave Boy and GF in the second lane. My aim was not as true this time as it was the last, but didn't do too bad either. Got all shots on the target sheet and even three of ten shots in the 20 ring, at twenty five yards! Not too bad for me:) Rave Boy and GF didn't do too badly either, and both seemed to have had fun. All in all, range day was a success. Next comes the BBQ'n

As for who did, or did not show? The Professor was not going to make it because he had chores to do at home, but he did show up just a an hour or so before everything was cleaned up. He had some food and chatted. The Acupuncturist could not make it due to previous plans, so did not show. The only ones left and did show were Rave Boy and GF. As for the BBQ itself, everything rolled like clockwork. Even though we were in no rush, we didn't seem to stop at any one moment, thinking that there's nothing to do - everything seemed to have flowed like water. Awesome!

The Warden prepared chicken Adobo, stuffed mushrooms, and Portabella mushrooms with ground beef.

I started up the BBQ and cooked two filly's, two tri-tips, hot Italian sausages, and sliced red and green bell peppers, as well as the rice - all the while sipping on twelve year old Scotch;)

After the great food, and some chatting, I began the clean-up effort. Clean-up went just as smooth as butter. The Professor left for his home and we all agreed to meet at his place for some pyrotechnic fun - burning things!

And thus ends a perfect day:)

sketches - June 1209

It's been a trying week filled with the sickness that is the common cold, at least that's what it seems like anyway. Caught the damnable thing from the Warden, who got it from fatigue and snoring all night long last Wednesday. I could hear the sawing of logs from his room - he confirmed the illness the next day. Although I had suggested to him that if he did not feel well, to stay home and recover. But he did not head my advice and came up to hang out. As always, it was great to hang with the Warden, but when he left, he did not take everything with him - and he admitted so! I felt the disease Monday morning with a slight sore throat. First thing that I did, after cursing the foo, was to start eating raw garlic. Yes, raw garlic, with food of course. Can't eat those things raw without burning all the taste buds and setting the nerves on fire - pure torture! I do believe they did help quite a bit because the symptoms were relatively mild compared to what a cold usually felt like.

Took Tuesday off because I didn't want to get anyone at work sick and get blamed for it. Pretty much stayed in bed all day to try and recover. Throat felt sore but was not "sand paper" sore like it usually gets when I catch a cold. More garlic with all meals I ate. Woke up Wednesday soaked in sweat, but felt well enough to go to work. The rest of the day was uneventful, the same for Thursday and Friday.

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Went climbing Saturday with a couple of co-workers at the Planet Granite in the City. It was Gorgeous day in the Marina District. Had lunch together then chilled for the evening.

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It was hard getting up Sunday morning when the jogging friend called around ten in the morning. Postponed that jog til noon and we completed eight miles, woohoo! The rest of the day was just trying to relax for the coming week at work. I'm going to need it because we have a big push for a milestone at the end of the month. I'm anticipating long days and nights. Can't wait for the upcoming Mendocino trip! Did laundry, chores, and though I received the new rotors for the other half's car, did not get a chance to put them on. That will have to wait for the following week.

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End of transmission...

sketches - June 0209

It's been a busy few weeks at work. As for the past few days, I have been busy being "the Cleaner", with a laundry list of things to do in and around the house. With the other half coming home in a few weeks, it will not do to have a messy reception - heads will roll! Besides, I was also fed up with the mess as well. Since I am forced to take PTO for this week, that is what I have set out to do. The insides are pretty much in order, now need to make some time for the outside. I will need to fertilize and mulch the lawns and pull out the three foot weeds waving at me from the fence line - I'll give them a wave real soon... Gave the patio table top and two chairs one coat of Danish oil, and they will need at least a few more by this weekend. The rains do not help, and why on Earth is it raining in June!?!?! I'm also thinking about getting some new plants and trees for the side planters, but we'll see how much time I have:p

Going to the Warden's house tomorrow to hang out for a day, and I'll be unplugging this old ass computer and bringing it with me for him to help upgrade. I'm still running 2K and it can't run shit anymore, much less games:( While I'm at the Warden's, I think we will hit the rage for some target practice, hee, hee. I liiike...

As for today, went mattress shopping in the morning and got one purchases and delivered on the same day, today! Frikin sweet! You see, it was necessary because I'm tired of waking up everyday with lower back pain! I hope I can finally get a decent nights sleep from this night forth!!!

With the bed all set up, I drove to meet the Sketch Friend in SF. It was a beautiful day at the Marina today, and I asked to meet there because I felt like changing it up a bit from the local book store we usually go to. We were only sketching for about a half hour before the winds started to pick up - it was damn cold! so with only one finished sketch, we hit a cafe to warm ourselves up a little before we went our separate ways. We'll try it again another time.

sketches May 2009

Crazy busy with work and tired as hell.

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I love my new bike! Took it on a maiden ride last Sunday, after Bay to Breakers, in the Berkeley Hills with the ex-coworker who use to ride it all the time. This is the third time riding up Tunnel Road. Unlike the first time with my old road bike, which was a total bitch due to being out of shape, or the second time, which was easy with granny gears on the mountain bike. I was psyched for nothing! The ride was, in my opinion, moderate. It was pretty much around 5.54 miles of medium accent, which I think is much less of an incline than say Ralsten Avenue, which I will try and tackle this Friday morning.

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Over and out.

sketches May 0509

Tuesday nights are usually bouldering nights, but since a co-worker wants to do figure sketching, I decided to do the same. The only place that I know of, that's close to home, is the figure drawing workshop at the Palo Alto Arts Center, off of Embarcadero and Newell Rd.

They have open workshop every Tuesday nights that's open to the public, and cost $5 a session. I think climbing will shift to Wednesdays and Saturday mornings, got a membership so might as well milk it for all it's worth.

Sketches - April 2609

sketches - March 2409

This one goes out to the Warden

Last night I had the weirdest dream, I dreamt about zombies! That's right! Zombies! There were a lot of them in front of me, and I don't have any weapons to defend myself with! I was freakin paralyzed from fear! That woke me, slightly, but I feel right back to sleep.

Back in the dream, I noticed that I was on the steps of a church, and that the zombies were not coming up the steps after me. The zombies just milled around at the foot of the steps as if being stopped by some invisible barrier. Then I kind of "stepped back", or rather "floated back" into a third-person perspective, looking back at myself. But the thing was, I was not "myself", per say, but Steve Austin!

I thought to myself; Why the he'll am I scared? I'm freakin Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man, with freakin Kong-fu grip! Put a machete into my hand and I can decapitate a zombie with one swipe! I can run through a crowd of zombies so fast that by the time they reacted, it would be too late! Their heads are gone!!! And even if I was cornered in a dead end alley, it would not matter, because I can super leap my ass outa there. If I was backed into a wall, I can leap up, and at the apex, punch my fist into the wall to stop myself from falling, and then kick the wall in with both my feet and repeat that kicking all the way up and climb to safety!

Then the alarm went off and woke my ass up...bizarre.