Weekend plans?

I don't need no stinking weekend plans!

I'm going to write as much as I can, read some of this book for a literary circle started by a friend of mine, and create some art. My friend--same one who started the literary circle--sent me a picture of a Mexican pansy bloom that will be an excellent subject for a painting using dry brush technique. That's something I've been itching to try for a while now.

Speaking of my art, here's a sunflower I did recently--I'm quite proud of it.

 

 

Sheesh, I just realized how worn out I am--I'm just babbling here. More than usual, that is. I'm going to shut up now before I say something really weird. Or weirder than usual.



 

 

The plan for the day and randomocity

So, the Syfy network has thrown a monkey-wrench into my plans for today by airing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon. Yes, I love Buffy, though I'm not one of those who knows every detail of the series--there are several episodes I haven't seen.

Anyways, I'll be sitting here watching TV, instead of writing and/or drawing or painting, I'm sure. Though I do plan to do a pastel of a magnolia blossom--I'm also doing an acrylic painting of the same thing but this is for a friend so I want to give her alternatives.

My friend and my goddaughter are in town and I've spent some time with them this week--it's been all kinds of awesome. I'm sure I'll get more opportunities to spend time with them while they are in this area--they're leaving on another little trip in a couple of days but they'll be back after that.

It's weird, though, because I've been so solitary for so long, it takes me a while to get used to having people around again. For years it's been just me, so it's an adjustment. It's one I'm happy to make, but it's still a little weird.

Anyways, I've been able to get some work done on book one of The Sorcerer's Daughter series. I'm much happier with it this time around--it just feels right, like I'm finally telling the story I want to tell.

Back to work tomorrow, after being off all week. That will be a bit stressful, as it always is, especially since I've been asked to do something by my boss and I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to do it. It involves training, and that is not my strong suit. I mean, I can be trained--learning new stuff is pretty easy for me, usually--the problem is when I'm supposed to train other people.

So,, wish me luck, and, if you're in the US, tune your TV to Syfy to waste your entire day!

Yes, it does* mean you . . .

Back when the ACA (otherwise known as "the Affordable Care Act" or Obamacare, if you prefer) went into effect, I heard this woman I know who is a vehement Republican and right-wing nutjob on the phone with her Human Resources department, screaming at them because she wanted her son (in his early twenties and unemployed) to be covered by her group insurance now, since it was the law.

At the same time she calls the ACA socialism and wants it to be repealed. Of course, she knows that the rule that requires her employer to insure her son on her group health plan is a part of the ACA, but that doesn't seem to impact her thinking.

Same thing happens with other people I know, people who have serious health issues who were terrified of having to change jobs before because if they did so their new insurance wouldn't cover their pre-existing conditions. Now, they will, because of the ACA. But these people, too, want it repealed.

I've been bewildered about this behavior for a while, but it suddenly occurred to me the other day--these people think that, if the ACA were repealed, somehow it wouldn't affect them. The provisions that they are taking advantage of would still be in place for them, just not for other people.

It's the same sort of thinking that has people screaming and hollering about attempts to limit voting rights, and in some cases remove the right to vote altogether. Anti-abortion legislation--trust me, a lot of those right-to-lifers would have or pay for an abortion in a second if it were them or one of their own children who needed one. Those people somehow think that these Draconian, racist and misogynistic laws, if enacted, somehow won't effect them, personally. Only those other people.

Trust me, though--those other people are you. Just because you throw in with the monsters who are dehumanizing a large segment of the population, that doesn't mean you will be considered one of them, when the time comes. They'll throw your ass in jail as quickly as they will anybody else, or let you die because you can't afford healthcare as much as they would anybody else, or let you starve to death as quickly as anybody else. Because you're not one of them.

It's time you voted like it.

A drizzly Sunday randomocity

I'm sitting here watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory on DVD.

I'm doing this because of every TV network on the planet deciding Sunday morning is the time to run programming that isn't really fit for human consumption. I guess in their never-ending struggle to get us all to go to church or something. Fortunately, I'm well stocked up on DVDs of my favorite TV shows and movies so I can weather this storm.

Speaking of storms, looks like we may be having another one today, after being spared the torrential rainfall for a little while. Dammit.

As to my creative pursuits--I have this overwhelming urge to paint something, but I don't have anything that I want to paint. It's very frustrating. I'm working on a landscape right now but I didn't really conceptualize it adequately first so it's not going so well. I am taking this opportunity to learn, though--there's always something new I want to try out so it's not a total loss.

I haven't done any writing in a couple of days but I'm going to return to that in a little while. In that case it's a matter of being too frelling tired to concentrate when I get home from work.

I'm going to have a nine-year old hanging out with me at least some of the time this week, in addition to her mother. There aren't any words to how much I'm looking forward to spending some time with them while they're here--I've missed them both terribly.

Anyways, the plan for today is painting and writing and relaxing. Which is, really, as good as it gets, for me.

What I've been missing

I just haven't been feeling very creative for a while now.

When I sit down to write something, sketch something, paint something, whatever, the results aren't all that interesting.

Something is missing. I'm just not feeling that fire I usually feel when I'm working on something.

I've felt this for a while--or, rather, haven't felt it. Sort of a numbness.

I finally figured out what was missing, just an hour or so ago.

Rage. Seething, frothing rage. It's just not there anymore.

All creative types have their particular emotional palette, something that they have to feel in order to produce their more inspired works, and that's mine. My best stuff is painted with rage, a white-hot, deep-seated anger.

Not happening at the moment. I don't know why. It's not like the things that angered me before are no longer around. They're present more than ever, in fact. But the anger, the emotional trigger that sets my mind onto the paths that lead to something interesting and worthwhile, has been replaced with an emotional exhaustion, a tiredness, and an annoyance at the idiots who seem to outnumber everyone else in this world.

Nobody wants to read about that crap. Nobody wants to feel that, least of all me. Exhaustion and annoyance? You can feel that just by going to work. And get paid for it, too.

It's not like I want the anger. I seem to need it, though, in order to create. Dammit.

Maybe I need to watch the news more. That would probably do it.

Soggy holiday randomocity

So, it's been raining. A lot. It's going to continue to rain. A lot more.

Yes, it's getting wet here. Ironic that we were conserving water in this area a few months ago.

My best friend and my goddaughter are on their way to my neck of the woods as I type this--they should be here in the next day or so. I'm looking forward to seeing them again--it's been a while. They're going to be around for an extended period of time so this should be a fun summer. I'm really looking forward to it.

My best friend is also a talented writer and a wonderful person to bounce ideas off of, so I expect my own work will get turned up a few ticks having her around for a while, too. And having a highly intelligent, inquisitive nine year old always makes things interesting.

So, I've been doing some much-needed housekeeping around here, getting my apartment ready for company. While I don't expect them to be staying with me, I do expect them to be over here a good bit.

Of course, since this is a holiday I'm off from work, though I have to go back in tomorrow. Weird, though, that I'll go back in and then have the weekend. A great many of my co-workers have taken tomorrow off--I wish I'd thought of that. Hopefully it'll be slow. I expect most of the folks who call us will also be off, though I do expect some calls to come in, and of those there will be a few that will be intense. That's been my experience..

Anyways, that's what's been going on with me. I hope my friends here in the US have a happy holiday today. And if you're in the same area as me, try to stay dry!