Just Chillin'

It's a rainy Saturday night. I have no plans, except to chill. Seriously chill. It's been a long week, and I need some time to just relax. I have tomorrow off, and I plan to continue chillin'. Some video games, some painting, going for a short run, some reading - that's my agenda.

I've been feeling negative and thinking negative a little too much lately. I am going to look on the bright side of things as much as I can from now on. I am going to stop complaining about work. There are worse jobs out there, I work with decent people, and I won't be there forever. I just need to remember that.

Peace out.

Existential Angst...

Its Friday night, rainy and warm. I'm sitting at my drawing board sketching away. Here's a picture of an orc baseball player, just an idea I'm tossing around in my head for a video game project, Fantasy Baseball. Not an entirely original idea, inspired (or ripped off) from a Foxtrot cartoon about Fantasy Football with Wizards and Orcs and stuff. Heheh.



So anyway, I'm feeling reflective. I'm going to set some personal goals for myself this summer.

1) Complete one issue of a comic book, and have it printed.

2) Finally, finally, finally set up a damn website for my art

3) Create an entirely new portfolio, all new pieces, the whole deal. And send it out!

4) Create one complete video game with graphics, even if it's just a space invaders or galaga clone.

5) Develop a reasonably good coin routine, maybe 4-6 tricks.

6) Finish one short story. Just one, that's it.

7) Finally get my A+ certification.

8) Jump out of an airplane.

9) Start running again. Be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping. Lose 30 pounds.

10) Speak Japanese to a Japanese person and be understood. Even if it's just to order sushi or ask where the bathroom is.

There are 10 very reasonable goals, I think. Nothing too extreme (Well, maybe the airplane thing, but it's something I feel I have to do). And my definition of 'summer' is kinda vague, figure when I start school in September, that will be 'fall'.

Random cool stuff... Zoomquilt brougt to my attention by Sarah, and Spamusement , mention on Scott McCloud's site. Both really cool. Spamusement made me laugh A LOT! I really wish I had thought of it, heheh.

Good Weekend..

I had a nice weekend. Hung out with Sarah in the woods, saw some salamanders and heard some frogs, was a good time. Almost ran a turkey over on the way home.

So I am a little paranoid...

So I am little paranoid. The review went fine, everything is cool. I didn't have to throw my keys or quit in a frenzy. Hah.

So I saw Sin City and it was pretty darn cool. Good adaptation of the comics, better than I thought it was going to be. Looking forward to Hitchhiker's, but with some trepidation. Hard book to make into a movie.

Finished Chasm City. Really, really good sci-fi. Tons of wicked neat ideas in his books, and reasonably decent characters and plot to boot. Alastair Reynolds is moving onto my list of must reads. Working on Redemption Ark at the moment, pretty good so far.

Read Stupidest Angel. Was highly recommended by Sarah and Laura, and rightly so. Chock full o' hilarity. Will read more Moore in the future.

Been getting back into programming. Working my way through Beginning C++ Game Programming and I must say it is a heck of a lot better than the C++ books I originally learned from. Does a pretty good job of explaining things clearly, with concrete examples. And doesn't try to jump ahead to0 far to0 fast. Going to move on to an Open Gl or Direct X book next. I am having a lot of fun with it, I haven't gone batshit psycho pulling my hair out like I did like the last time I was writing programs. Good sign, me thinks.

Picked up Jade Empire and I must say it is pretty kick-ass. Best first impression I've gotten from a game in a long time. Kinda like a cross between Kotor and Fable, only funner.

Seem to use a lot of sentence fragments on my blog. Will try to use complete sentences from now on. Haha.

Review Today...

So I get a call from Karen at work this morning, telling me that the District Manager is there to give me my review today. Unannounced. Not a good sign. If he gives me any crap, I am probably going to tell him to take this job and shove it. I've been doing the managers job for over two months now, without manager pay, and no real indication that I am ever going to get the position. Or that he has the intention of putting anyone else there, either. So he gets a fairly effective manager at about half the cost? Screw that. It ain't worth it. Post more later.

Spring is here, damnit!

Spring is here, damnit! And it's about time! It's been so nice I've left work early the past couple of days.

I hate my job. I hate being inside all day long, dealing with the dregs of humanity. People suck. Why the hell does everyone have to be so stupid and rude? I just want to bash their faces in sometimes.

Okay, I feel better now that I have that off my chest.

I've been feeling anxious and weird lately. Change of seasons, uncertainty at work, lack of creative outlet, not enough fresh air, rain on my days off. All making me a little weird.

But things are looking up. I have tomorrow off. Got some stuff I'm gonna do.

Depending on weather, I'm going to go see Sin City tomorrow. I'm a fan of the comic, and the movie hasn't gotten horrible reviews so I'll check it out.

Going to finish my application to Umass Boston, and work on the FAFSA. I need to get back in school. I need that stupid degree. I need a better job. I need to do something better with my life.

Studying up for the A+, hoping to take it next month sometime. With any luck that'll help me get a more interesting job. I'm seriously considering majoring in computer science when I go back, but I feel a weird nagging feeling not to abandon art. Maybe I'll do a double major or some combination minor/major if I can.

I have a vague plan to put together a new portfolio to send out to magazines, editorial stuff. Was flipping through some magazines today and it really hit me -- I can do stuff that is at least as interseting as some of the stuff out there.

24 hour comic day is coming up this month, and I am doing one. No questions about it. It will most likely suck, but I feel a deep masochistic need to do one.

Okay, kids. That's it for now. I'll post again sooner rather than later.