a sketch a day - August

083106
Strange day. Dead squirrel in the drive way.


083006
Much better day. More to come?
So, I 've been watching these videos of people playing "Canon Rock", as in Pachelbel's Canon, transcribed by this Taiwanese guitarist Jerry C (http://jerryc.tw/). It sounds pretty good. His fan site in the UK has a collection of videos of people playing this piece, which anyone can download the background sound track to, as well as the tabulature for the guitar solo. It's fun to see how people add their own little riffs to the music. Some are ok, some suck, and then there are the really good players that play professionally. I'm trying to get a friend to download it and do his interpretation of it as well. I think he can be as good as a lot of the better players presented. Hopefully this will inspire him to actually do it after he's watched the videos, heh,heh. The videos are definitely inspirational, so I think I'll even give it a try. Of course at a much slower pace:p


082906
Good day outside. Can't say the same for the inside:p
The day when everything goes the wrong direction. Woke up tired as hell. Get to work and started the process of bug fixing for the next port to PS3. The migration of data was done yesterday, so today the build process starts. So I start the build. Hours later, much longer than usual, I check the build progress window and load and behold - errors about not connecting to the dev station. So, ok. A lot of time wasted, but I'll just hit reset and start again, right? Well, now, that's when the dev station starts to blink red, and doesn't go away with the repeated action of hitting the reset button. Emailed the team's help desk, and got replies with some things to try. No good. And finally, had to email the studio help desk. They came by with a new power supply thinking that was the problem. No good either. So the solution was to replace the dev station all together, and did. By that time, this day has been spent and nothing gets done. While all this is going on, I of course, didn't get to do something that I needed to do for tonight and so that's down the drain as well. I also find out that a friend, who used to work here, has been holding a grudge with this EA group of friends because of last minute invites to get together. She doesn't appreciate that at all. And to top it all off, a fight on the home front because I can't go pick up a fed-ex package for her in the last minute because I have another appointment to make, and I'm running late. No more, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!


082806
Nice day. Too bad I'm in a cube.


082706
Nice day for butterfly watching on the freeway. Flutter, flutter, flutter.


082606
So, so day. Need to be more energetic.
Don't know why, but just started thinking about imagery from some books that I've read a while back. It's the Vampire Files, by P.N. Elrod. The stories takes place on the East coast in the nineteen twenties. Pretty fun read. Maybe I'll reread them again soon.


082506
A nice day and a day staying home. What a waste.
So I have been slowly replacing these closet doors that are like, fifty something years old. They're constantly rolling off the tracks that they hang off of. But new bi-fold closet doors are expensive so I get them when I feel I can afford them. If it was just installing them, it would not be a big deal. The problem is that the closet opening is just shy of the standard 48" opening that the new bi-folds would fit into. So what would normally be an hour of work installing them becomes a days work for me because I have to modify them to fit. This involves trimming a quarter inch off of each panel. With trial and error from previous installations, I find that I need to trim off the wood at the hinged side of the bi-fold panels so it's not off-set when they open. I was just being lazy before, hahaha. This involves taking off the hinges, clamping the panel down, setting up a guide rail for the power saw, trimming the edge with the power saw, sanding the trimmed surface, router out new hinge notches. Do the same for the other side, then reassemble and finally, hang the door. Repeat another two times for a total of four panels. Needless to say, the garage is a total disaster area, sheesh... Too lazy to clean it up today.


082406
Day of getting very little done. Booo.
Yes, I love my Strat Plus! So much so that I want an American standard Strat as well. I've also been looking at some of the Ibanez guitars, too. The S series guitars are real gems, light weight and finely built. Too bad they all cost so bloody much. This one broke the bank and if I want another one, it's going to have to be working some freelance gigs to finance the new hobby of guitar collecting. This, I surely don't see lasting very long, unless I get a second job at a music store somewhere. I can even be the "whipping boy" at a shop that builds guitars and getting nothing for pay. I want to build some guitars, and I think I can be happy working on them as well! Three more days and it's back to work. How crappy is that when all I want to do is play?


082306
Another fine day. Only two more left before the weekend.
As I go out to do errands today, I see this huge moth, about two inches long, on my windshield. It looked like it was dying or something for it did not move too much, so I put it in a container for a closer look later. This thing's pretty interesting looking. From the front, it looked like a ship from a sci-fi movie. Since it does not seem to want to move around, it's perfect as a sketching subject, hee, hee.


082206
Busy day. Errands, errands, errands.


082106
A beautiful day. Even better with my new toy.
Yes, indeed, it's a great day for I have received my Strat Plus that I bid on a few weeks back. I didn't want to say anything because I had no idea what kind of condition it will be in until I picked it up from the mail room at work this morning. Well, I have to say that I am very pleased! It's a dark metallic green 96' Strat Plus with rose wood figer board, so it's not totally new. There's a little ware on the frets, but not too bad. The paint is in good condition except for a small scratch on the back. It just needs a little cleaning up and some new strings. It plays great and I anticipate that I will have years of fun with playing it. P, if you want to check it out, give me a call, heh, heh. This Fender Stratocaster is a perfect compliment to my Gibson 335-S. Time to learn some new licks, hee, hee;)


082006
Day of recovery. Need more time.
It's good to be back home in the bay area with it's sweet moist air. Now my chipped lips and dry nose can go away. Must remember to buy a small humidifier so I can take it along with me on any more trips to dry climates. Well, here, it is, the missing drawings for the past two weeks.

for 0819

for 0818

for 0817

for 0816

for 0815

for 0814

for 0813

for 0812

for 0811

for 0810

for 0809

for 0808

for 0807

for 0806

for 0805

for 0804


081706
A long and tiring day. Just two more and I'm back home.
started the journey home from Signal mountain Lodge, Wyoming to Salt Lake city, Utah. This city reminds me of L.A. It's spread out as far as one can see, hot, and smoggy. Tomorrow's trek is from here to Reno, Nevada, then from Reno to home on Saturday. I can't wait.

081406
Beautiful day. Hopefully, more to come.
After seven days without any access to the internet, we are now in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. This camp site has wireless access in their main lobby, which is where I am now. The view is spectacular. The Grand Teton mountains are enormous and quite breath taking and are directly access the lake. Photos will not do them justice. Still no cell service for me, except for the brief period when we went into the city of Jackson to get some sushi and new tires for Rob's truck. There, I was able to check messages on my cell. And when we left, so did the reception, hahaha. This will be another three days without my cell working. The only ones who have had cell service since we started the Yellowstone trip was Rob and Paul, bastards! Did I mention that the air, here at high altitude, is quite dry and my nose and lips feel like a dried up river bed? Well they are and I am soooo ready to go back down to the nice moist air of the bay area;) A sketch a day is still going on every day, just cant upload them, yet.

080706
One tiring day. But good, none the less
Did my first hike today, and being at five thousand feet did not make it that much easier. A storm started to brew at a distance when we started, and as we were heading back to the hotel, rain started to fall. Didn't help when the trek back was all up hill. It's even more difficult in the thin air. Since I had forgotten my rain jacket, I elected to sprint ahead of the group for they had their rain gear. Rookie move on my part, hahaha. Lesson learned.

080606
Another long day on the road to Yellowstone. Five and a half hours of boring freeway. Thank goodness it ends for a few days.
After another long haul to Yellowstone, we finally made it to our first destination in Yellowstone National Park. It's quite beautiful scenery, and spotting elks on the road to boot. My co driver decided we are going to start drinking right before we get seated to dinner, and so we have. One shot of Johnny Walker red, four shots of Johnny walker Black, and a pint and three quarter of beer afterwards, well, need I say more? Believe it or not, I am buzzing, but not drunk! Yeah, what ever. The fact that I am actually blogging is testament to my soberness. I know what you're thinking. What ever. Connecting to a phone line is amazing enough, hahahaha. Until tomorrow.

080506
Another long drive and two thirds of the way there.
Made it from Winnemucca to Twin Falls, Idaho in a little over five hours. We're staying at a Holiday Inn near the Perrine Bridge that spans the Snake River Canyon. This is one scary bridge for it crosses 486 feet over the river, and is 1500 feet long. This is also near the location where Evel Knievel tried to jump across it in the Sykcycle X-1, and failed miserably. We are scheduled to arrive in Yellowstone tomorrow evening. In the meantime, some rest before hitting the small "gym" downstairs for a little jog on the tred mill along with Rob and Paul. Whether or not there's internet access at the next lodging site, is unknow.

080406
Today was long. Not too hot for the AC is a blasting!
We are here at the "Model T" Comfort Inn in the high desert town of Winnemucca, Nevada. Since Rob has brought his laptop, and there is actually a wireless connection, I can update this blog. No images, of course, for there is no scanner for scanning and processing the sketches. Everything will be uploaded in two weeks.

080306
A busy day. Walk like an Egyptian.
This is the last entry for two weeks, for I am going to be on vacation and will not have any way to update this blog:p So, today was running around getting a bug deflector for the SUV. Since I will be driving through several States, I do not feel like scraping tons of dead bugs from my windshield, yuk. With the purchase, I now have to install it today! Also had to take a look at the rear passenger window, too, because it will not roll up properly without assistance. This problem came up a while ago, it's just that I keep forgetting to look at it. I think the motor is about to take a dive. All I could do is lube the track that the window slides up on. Works a bit better, now. Finish packing for the road trip as well. I think I'm all set. Be seeing you.


080206
An absolute calm day. I need more!
Getting ready for the big road trip that's commencing Friday afternoon. It will be good to get away from the hustle and bustle of the daily work life. I'm hoping to get some inspiration and motivation to do more paintings. It will be a good time to think things over for the coming months for work does not inspire much for creativity.


080106
A slow day turns long and frustrating. No more, please.
It's 10:20pm and I'm still at work. Since I didn't expect to be here past six o'clock, I didn't order dinner. Now, I'm getting by with vending machines food that consists of peanuts and granola bars. I want some hot food, damn it! A nice hot juicy burger would be most excellent right about now. Oh well, I guess it's pay back for the two-and-a-half hour lunch and a trip to Best Buy with the remanding co-workers who are still around. You see, most are all ready on vacation and a skeleton crew is all that's left to deal with any miscellaneous bugs that comes along and needs fixing - which happens to be me>:( But hey, at least I got Spiderman 2 for Four bucks, among other things:p