Pain

Is not my friend. Without going into a total whining spree here, I simply cannot stand the pain that is my right shoulder any more. It's been going on for nearly a year, off and on. Mostly on. I'm finally getting an ultrasound done on it in a couple weeks, and it's not a minute too soon. When you can't sleep through a night without waking up to pop Tylenol 3's every few hours, to hold off curling into the fetal position and sobbing uncontrollably, I believe there is a problem, Houston. When you can't even turn light switches on and off without cringing in agony, there is a problem. Self amputation is starting to look attractive. o_O

....back to a drug induced (hopefully) sleep....

D.

happy autumnal equinox

I love the autumn. I don't know if that's morbid of me to love the season where basically everything dies, but I come alive in the fall. I have this sense of contentment, security...my childhood was kind of lonely, so I spent a lot of time outside alone with my imagination, maybe it stems from that. I always loved reading stories about hallowe'en, harvest, that kind of thing also.

I'm finally feeling a little better for the last two days, knock wood. I hope it continues!

I absolutely HAVE to get at this painting for Tara's wedding gift today; I've procrastinated this last week, though in my defense I've felt like doggie doo. It's so beautiful outside it's hard to be stuck indoors for any period of time.

*sigh* back to work...

Sickness and stuff

Well, in spite of all my good intentions, I have obviously not been writing in my blog every day. I blame this almost entirely on the germs that invaded my body a little over a week ago when I sat beside that woman who was sneezing and hacking. Damn her.

So for the last week I have been feverish, and generally feeling like hell.
And that sums it up.

I did manage to finish the second painting attempt of Matt's other dog last week as well. I think it's a little better than the first draft, and I'm all right with this one I think:

I did participate in a walkathon fundraiser to help the women's shelter in spite of raging fever on Friday. And I've managed to keep exercising even though I sincerely thought I might actually die a couple times while doing so.

Yesterday I found out he who shall not be named's child was born. I found this out by seeing his mother's congratulatory note to he and his (estranged?) wife on his facebook wall. Congratulations. And that's all I'm saying about that.

Sorry, for my lack of anything probably faintly amusing today...I'm off to try and feel better and to go attempt to teach some people about music.
D.

I said don't touch me.

The ever-so-accomodating Chloe, The Cat/Queen, showing me the love as per usual, last evening.

D.

I'm turning Japanese...

...I really think so.
I am so addicted to sushi, miso soup, almost all foods Japanese.

I'm making sushi right now for Braden (the youngest kid) and I to have for supper . ( Alex, (the oldest) is the pickiest eater in the free world, we won't even go there. If it weren't for pizza and peanut butter he would have wasted away years ago.) I swear I could eat sushi every meal, every day....mmmmmmmm....somehow I don't think that would be exactly good for you though. All things in moderation, including mercury poisoning, I would think. o_O Between sushi, miso soup and tofu though, yeah...you're basically looking at what keeps me alive. :P

Another hot smoggy day in the Hammer. You can't see more than a block down the road for the visible air pollution. Methinks I will be staying inside and painting once again today. I kindly drove the kids to school once again and will be picking them up after school, generous mama that I am. (Really I just want to keep them around a little longer for the cheap slave labour they provide. :P)

I'm nearly done the painting of Matt's second dog, Benji. Here's a picture of the portrait I did of his first dog, Casey: (sorry, crappy webcam pic, the batteries are charging for the digi cam)

Hopefully I can finish Benji's portrait in the next day or two, and I got a good start on the portrait of my sister's dog yesterday.

Back to my sushi preparations!

D.

Heat, paintbrushes and shaved pussies

Well it's a sweltering 40 degree celsius in the shade kind of day today and I'm hiding out in my air conditioning, painting. I had to emerge from my cave earlier when I couldn't find the ONE detail paintbrush I like and need, and had to immediately go to Michaels for a new one. heh. Two expensive paintbrushes and two new acrylic paints later ("silver morning", a new shade!! wooo! it sparkles) I dragged myself reluctantly from their premises. At first I thought my glasses or my sunglasses must be smudged when I came out of the store, but after cleaning both, I realized it was the smog and humidity that was fogging my vision. Sure makes one proud to be a Hamiltonian at times like that.

The Cat (or The Queen as we often call her) is sitting in all her glorious sovereignty watching me with complete disdain as I type this. (It might have something to do with the fact I'm painting dogs, or just the fact she has the most miserable personality I've ever encountered in a feline.) She's a 14 year old persian named Chloe, who loves me, and hates EVERY OTHER LIVING THING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. She tolerates my oldest child and hates the youngest, which she proves pretty much daily by hissing, scratching, growling, biting him etc. I think it's because they're the same age, have grown up together and are jealous of each other, personally. So anyway, the bitch...I mean...The Cat...won't let me brush her, so once a year I take her to the groomer and she gets shaved naked. She hates being groomed, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Lisa, her groomer. (Why anyone would ever choose to do that for a living is beyond me, but kudos to those who do!!) But she loooooooves how it feels when she's bald afterwards and acts like a kitten and wants to cuddle...well, as much as a cat who is completely anti-social would ever cuddle, that is. What always amazes me is how extremely tiny she is without hair. She's a small cat, weighs about 7 pounds, but man, without hair...she puts one in mind of a small chihuahua, or slightly large rat. Or maybe ET while he was still in utero.


I don't have pics from her being shaved two days ago yet, but here's one from the last time:

You can see the intense enjoyment on her face. Such a sweet animal.

Back to painting now.

D.

My first (real) blog aka I am NOT a cougar

Well here I sit, when I should be painting.
My kids are at school for another hour, and all I've really accomplished today is a load of laundry washed and hung on the line. woooo, me!
Me in a nutshell: divorced single parent of two teenagers, eminently sarcastic, reasonably intelligent, jaded, but a former hopeless romantic until the said jading well...jaded me. I teach music, paint, write a bit. Artsy fartsy but without a "real job" as they say . ha

Really, lately, all my life revolves around is painting, music, the kids, watching every calorie I put in my mouth, a boxing dvd I obsessively work out to every day, and a certain person who shall remain nameless.

My kids are barely even "kids" anymore... the youngest started high school yesterday and the oldest became (well legally, anyway) an adult a couple weeks ago. Am I feeling my age? meh. somewhat. Not really. Might have something to do with the fact I only date younger men. heh. (But I'm not a 'cougar' damn it :P)

I'm currently painting Matt Good's two dogs for him. Well, one's finished. The other's giving me a hard time. (keeping in mind this is just a photograph of said dog we're talking about!) I also have to paint a portrait of my sister's dog for a wedding gift for her next month. I just started painting last year, but it seems to be going well, when I'm NOT swearing at the paint/brushes/palette/canvases/light/easel/subjects. *note: this is not very often

I met Matt Good in the summer. It was probably the singlemost thrilling thing of my life, seeing as he's kind of a hero to me. (Okay, basically I stalk him, are you happy!? :P) But anyway, he and I have spoken on the phone and through emails several times since I met him, and well, it's been kind of surreal to me!! I have been a huge fan of his music and his mind for four years now and it's really weird to know the guy in real life. And of anyone I've ever met, he is the truest to his public image. He stands by his values and everyone and everything he believes in. I have such admiration for the man, especially after all he's been through in the last year or so. He did a huge favour for me and my kids recently, and I'm painting portraits of his dogs as a kind of repayment. It's a surprise, hopefully a pleasant one! ha I'm still very paranoid about my art. My paintings are like babies to me and I'm terrified I'll give one to someone who won't appreciate it and who will toss it or something o_O But somehow I can't see Matt doing that, thankfully.

He who shall remain nameless emailed me last night, FINALLY, after not hearing from him for nearly a month and having visions of his lifeless body in a ditch along the QEW...whew. Hopefully it won't be that long before I hear from him again, my mental state doesn't cope well in these situations. (read: i might have to hone my private investigating skills which might be construed by some as that pesky "stalking" word again :P)

D.