March

March Goals:

• No pizza/Chinese food.
• At least one hike.
• At least 2 work-outs per week.
• Leave town at least once a week.
• Keep drawing on a regular basis.

Great Day Off

I had today off, and it was a good one.

I got out of bed around 9:30 am, and had coffee, a banana and a Kit Kat White for breakfast. I read a bunch of old "All New X-Men" comics, and then I spent awhile online, and drawing a 'Seasoned Gnomish Warrior' for the #DrawingDudesChallenge. Laundry happened, and then I had lunch: chicken patty sandwiches with shredded cheese on ten-grain bread, along with ripple chips and apple juice. I watched "Wet Hot American Summer" again, and then washed a sinkful of dishes.

Ohr Durv, the gnome warrior, gets lightly seasoned in a giant's stew bowl.

Back online for a bit, and on a whim I checked my bank balance, because I'd planned to food shop later tonight. Lo and behold, my state tax refund arrived! So I did some online window shopping, and wound up buying 2 old issues of Dragon Magazine and some stickers for (me and) the kids. After that I showered and then headed out into the night to buy beer and food shop. DAMN, but it's nice to have a decent amount of disposable income...

Global Warming

The thermometer hit 78 degrees F today. I had all the windows open for the second day in a row. And around 3:30 pm I went down to the lake. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

Music Things

As I had some extra money a few weeks ago, I snagged a few things music-related from Music Today. 

I got a House of Blues (Boston) mug; a 3" x 5" sticker from the original Woodstock; and after being a Pete Yorn super fan ever since his debut album dropped in 2001, I finally bought a t-shirt, with the logo from "musicforthemorningafter". Sweet!

Taxes Filed

This year I decided not to rush and file my taxes ASAP (on or before February 1st). I just finished them. I am receiving a $750 federal refund and a $420 state refund. Both would have been higher if I'd had health insurance, but because I did not have it, and despite remaining healthy all year, I had to pay penalties ($695 on federal alone!) - what a rip-off.

Now, depending on how quickly my returns are processed, I should have a new bed by the end of March!

Productive: Art

I spent part of the afternoon inking an outline (see the Hulk's fist on the left for a comparable base image) of Iron Man from a sticker/activity book, and then coloring it in my preferred colors (I love a blue & silver color scheme).

And then later when the snow from Winter Storm Noah began, I drew this cartoon of Noah and his ark, skidding madly down a snowy slope. As usual, I include both the 'indoor' and 'aquarium' filters on my camera.

Back, Out of the Saddle Again...

I went in to work this morning, and at approximately 7:52 am I was moving a box full of cardboard off of a U-boat, and as I pivoted to lower it to the floor, I felt that old familiar pain in my lower back (both sides this time). After doing due diligence (calling HR to report the accident, and informing my DM and manager), I was stuck standing at the cash registers alone for 4 more hours until Julio came in to relieve me.

Long story short, I'll be out of work for the next week or so with yet another back injury. Thankfully it is mild compared to the other two, but it's no less irritating, disruptive or uncomfortable...

Paperwhite Night

I went to Boston tonight to hang out with Erik and see new favorite band Paperwhite perform live at Great Scott in Allston.

I had the day off after I got a text from Julio at 8:30 am that today's 9:00 am truck was cancelled. A lazy day ensued, and after dropping off the manager keys to the Clinton FD store, I drove in the rain to Alewife, and arrived at 7:00 pm sharp.

Erik was waiting there, and we loaded money on our Charlie Cards, and jumped on the Red Line to Davis Square for a pre-show dinner at The Burren, a bar I've been hanging out at off & on since it opened in 1996. I got the Burren Burger with cheddar, bacon & mushrooms: a half-pound of amazing beef, with fantastic fries, and a Harp Lager. We hung out there for an hour, and then got back on the T: Red Line inbound, and then a transfer to the Green Line outbound on the B Train to Harvard Avenue stop at Great Scott.

We arrived just after 9:00 pm but the opener (Iyves) hadn't even set up yet. So I bought a round of beers (I had a Lagunitas IPA) as we waited. She came out and sang her lungs out, but most of her songs were too slow and chill to get me going. She had a powerful voice, and she was a sweetheart, but her music isn't my cup of tea.

Finally, after another beer Paperwhite finally took the stage. Wow. What an energetic gal! It was a 2-woman show (Isabelle De Leon supporting on percussion and miscellaneous sfx), but Katie Marshall totally killed it with her voice and her dancing. They played every song i wanted to hear, plus a few (good and bad) new ones, and they ended with "Only Us", my favorite. Followed by a one-song encore, "Unstoppable". The lights came up, I congratulated her on a great show on our way out, and we grabbed a waiting cab back to Alewife. It cost us twenty bucks, but shaved a good 40 minutes off our return trip. The drive home flew by. I was at my door at 12:30. What a fun night out...

Winter Storm Liam

...Gave me a day off! We got 5 inches of snow, with icy roads, and no plow until late. So I called Clinton and didn't have to go into work.

I had cold pizza for lunch and cold chicken for supper. In between and after, I drew another challenge entry (see: Balsa Wood Tree House). It was fantastic to not have to be anywhere today, especially since I have tomorrow off as well.

At the tail end of the day I watched "The Amazing Race" and crammed in the last 2 drawings for Week 1 of the challenge.

Basically I spent the entire day drawing!

Superbowl Sunday

I slept in 'til 10:45!

A lazy day.

Then off to Gardner to watch the Superbowl at Jay's. Teriyaki wings from the Gardner Ale House, Mello Yello, and fresh broccoli. A super hard-fought game, but the patriots came up short, 41-33. I don't feel too badly. We have won 5 SB's and appeared in EIGHT in the last 17 years. Plus, Nick Foles (Philly's QB) is a good guy, and that team has never won a Superbowl. So I am okay with the loss.

Now it's all about "Go Celtics!", plus MLB's Spring Training coming soon...

Drawing Challenge

I'll be doing my best to keep up with the "Dungeons & Dragons" - style Instagram Drawing Challenge this month. I'll post my drawings at my art blog, Balsa Wood Tree House. Follow along on that site, or by using the #DungeonDrawingDudes hashtag on Instagram.