Letters to Holly

Friday, December 7

Luxury

Your Sis had such a good day at work that she ended the evening with a soak. She never uses the tub. Incredibly, she used the bathtub whirlpool jets for the first time. We've been in that house for more than 2 years.

We ordered pizza and watched tiFauxed House and some football. I manged to turn to Entertainment Tonight just in time for her to see the coverage of Speed Racer, and her face just lit up.

I think we're putting up the tree this weekend. I mailed out my Secret Santa gift despite a hard sell for Priority mail from the lady behind the counter. A very hard sell, almost belligerent. If we meet on the street, I shall challenge her to a duel.

Moving Picture of the Day
She saw this: the trailer for Speed Racer, by the folks behind The Matrix and V for Vendetta.

Thursday, December 6

Comfort Food

I bought Your Sis Nutella and Graham Crackers to help her get through the cold, but she saved it to eat once she got better. I think we ate half of both last night. This was after I tried a new chicken and zucchini recipe that unfortunately came out like a stew.

She never noticed until this year just how many jewelry ads run on all channels, targeted to make men think they have to buy baubles for the womenfolk. It's a deluge. Kay, Jared, Zales -- they push the hard sell on us poor, stupid men. Your Sis does want a new necklace for Christmas, but she's still looking at designs and stones. But no diamonds, she says.

Moving Picture of the Day
Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker sing Danny Boy.

Wednesday, December 5

Sketchy

Your Sis shook off the cold yesterday. I took her to a local restaurant with a fireplace, and she practically sat in it, muttering "fuego es bueno."

I made a large rough based on the initial sketches. This gave me a chance to listen to my DVD commentary, and now it seems like something only I would be interested in. I don't think I'll add it to the DVD copies. Unlike the sketch, this rough would include shading and muscle suggestion. I fiddled with the idea of a background but abandoned it.


I then made a lightbox tracing that I'll later ink over. I'm aiming to mail out the sketch to my online Secret Santa recipient by Friday.


The Christmas Project is moving along quickly, and I may have it finished by next weekend. I think we'll put up the tree this Saturday.

Monday, December 3

In the Meantime

We attended our first school basketball games of the season Friday night. The girls team is sloppy except for one freshman who obviously plays against older brothers. She's astounding. She has deadly skills and the right attitude. She didn't change expressions once, never argued a foul, never pouted over a missed shot. She played hard and well. I want to see all her games. The boys killed the county rivals, but they weren't as much fun to watch.

We Christmas shopped the next day. I'm trying to piece together Your Sister's gift, but she insists on tagging along with me in town and making shopping close to home impossible. We split up in Asheville, and I did find just the thing I need to get the project started. Yes, I'm being vague. She is now sick at home after a miserable Sunday. I laundered and grocered and tended to her. But mostly I started the Gift Project assembly and worked on a sketch for an online Secret Santa. He asked for Spidey.

Also? I dusted off the Katamari game to hone my Damacy-Fu.

Picture of the Day
Here are the sketches I popped out early last week. I began a larger rough Sunday, and when that's tight, I'll copy it to another sheet to ink.