I Like to Do Drawrings.

I'm doing two drawings this year for some online folks.

One online acquaintance, whom I've since met at conventions, sends out handdrawn cards each year to a small group of friends. I've gotten three, including this year's. It's a big gesture. He needs some reciprocal love.

He sent this. It's Sergeant Slaughter fighting Destro, a GI Joe character. Sarge is a real-life wrestler who, in a stroke of complete fucking genius, was brought into the GI Joe universe and toy line. His finishing move is the Cobra Clutch, a sleeper hold, and he's applying to a member of Cobra. There's so much right about this drawing.


In response, I'm sending him this. I assume he likes Hawkman. Who doesn't like Hawkman?


I only have three color markers. I can offer him no flesh tones. This is, by the way, the best Hawkman I've ever drawn.

I'm sending an online Secret Santa winner this drawing:


I quickly drew them both yesterday as I watched the sidekick. Your Sister was off attending a teacher workshop. She'll meet up with a college buddy today while Your Parents watch the boy.

He had a horrible night, and we suspect the Christmas lights kept him awake. They're a low intensity blue, and we hoped they'd replace the nightlight. But his vision may not be able to filter them the way we can. Once we unplugged them, he slept. Lesson learned. His howling was so bad, we suspected teething. It's still early for that, although My Mom says I teethed (tothed? toothed?) at three months.

Going Ahead With Things

Achievement unlocked.

I feel like James Bond. I didn't even know about the cards until I saw yours.

The insulated curtains are up in the nursery, and the room feels much better.

As it stands now, My Mom will come up for a holiday dinner, and Your Parents won't. When Your Sister suggested it to them, Your Mom told her to not plan anything and let things just happen. She said she would give me their Christmas presents to us tomorrow when I drop off the deputy. That sounds like they are avoiding any family get-together in the wake of the July 4, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving assemblies. Can't say I blame them. OK, I could blame them to some degree, but, really, why? They only hurt themselves by boycotting or grumbling through such events. When I talked to My Mom last night, she asked specifically what was going on with Your Parents in Alabama. I suspect they will, in fact, come by when they remember the deputy will be a quarter of the way further into his first year.

We're thinking of getting a new stereo system to replace the fratboy boom system I hastily bought after my separation. Actually, I now remember I got that for Christmas from my parents as the separation began. They were inclined to replace everything taken by the missus to both comfort me and spite her. Either way, the current system requires its own stand. I'd like to get rid of that and get a smaller system to fit in the bookshelves. We'd then burn all the CDs to our laptops and move them to a docked iPod. I'd also like to get a second drawing table so I can work on the next comics in the house proper.

I'm drawing comic Christmas cards for some online friends. I also contacted the convention folks to remind them they once asked if I'd make a collector card to promote next year's show. The card is made, and I'd like to get that piece out in public view.

The deputy has learned how to blow raspberries. Now he can make that noise from both ends.

Hello, Winter

The Friday doctor's appointment was good news/bad news.

The dandy: The doctor said that if he's shown even incremental improvement, that's a sign that he'll completely grow out of this by the time he's one year old. His rule contends that "90% of the patients get 90% better 90% of the time. " He'll stay on the Prevacid and return in six months.

The stinky: All that took 30 seconds and a $60 co-pay. Seems like we could have done this over the phone for free.

It's true that his snoring is a tenth of what it once was, and I wonder if the Prevacid is for our assurance more than his health. After more than a week of sleeping on his back, we've heard no regression, suggesting the reflux is under control. What has interrupted his sleep is the cold snap. It's f'ing freezing. Literally. We've ordered insulated curtains for his room. As I type, there's snow blowing like crazy in Asheville. I stayed home Monday and put up the Christmas tree. Your Sister bought the boy's first stocking. He can fit in it.

We piled into the car again and drove to a nearby Christmas street market in Flat Rock. It was nice. Small, but nice. The sleet probably affected the turnout, leaving more edibles for us. Your Sister specifically went for the advertised mushroom soup only to be told by that vendor that he couldn't get it together in time. Her grievous wound was salved with Starbucks.

The deputy and the cat now have wrestling characters in my new video game. They are tag team champions, and their entrance music is "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." I love this game.

I dropped by my new GP today for my pre-physical bloodwork. I was told I would replenish the three vials' worth by tonight, and this would not affect my ability to donate a pint Saturday. I assume they would call immediately if the vials turned out to be filled with buffalo sauce.

We'd like to have family over around Christmas and New Year's for a meal. Are you available?

Picture of the Day
Build your own Falcon.