Monty Python Meets Wallace & Gromit?

"That's no ordinary rabbit!"

Go Home, Mario!

This Nintendo 64 anecdote is too cute. I hope my kids are gamers.

Otherwise, they're going to realize that their parents are really juvenile.

Are Weekends for Relaxing?

Such a full weekend--where do I begin?

Friday, as evidenced by this photo, was University Day at UNT. I couldn't participate, as I was on duty at the desk, but wore my green U-day shirt in celebration. I'm rather fond of the 'ol green and white.

I'm battling to get taxes done right now, particularly when there are so many interesting things going on. One of those is working with Annie and Monika on several library displays--we finished one last week. The posters read, "Take a break: read a book!" and there are a lot of great pleasure-reads on the table, which faces the library entrance. It's been heartening to notice so many students stopping and looking on their way in--at something I was a part of! I'll try to snag some photos and post them later this week.

After fighting with Photoshop, Illustrator, and MS Publisher Friday afternoon, Alex and I went to Bullet Trap with his dad. I'd have taken a few amusing photos, but you're not supposed to use cameras or cell phones on the range--which I suppose particularly applies to camera-phones. The spent brass from several people kept jumping into the cuff of my jeans; eventually I stopped dumping them out and waited till I got home. I used a Beretta Tomcat 3032, which I find much easier to handle than anything else I've shot. It actually fits my shrimpy little hand, and the kick is pretty minimal--I can actually hold it steady while I shoot. It's nice to have a real target to shoot at, but the range is so noisy that I really prefer shooting out in the country--much more peaceful. It's hard to hold your arms steady when 40-caliber gun reports are echoing off concrete walls.

Saturday Alex and I went to a gun show in Big Town, and I enjoyed it a lot more than the last two I attended, though I can't say why. I love all the history on display--Civil War artifacts and Nazi paraphenalia abound in glass cases. It continues to take my breath away, being inches away from something fifty or more years old, that played a part in a world-changing event. You'd think that it wouldn't seem so impressive, maybe, after seeing something as old and famous as da Vinci's Last Supper up close & personal, but any piece of history is amazing to me. I don't know exactly what it is--perhaps just tangible proof that these storied events actually took place, that people like my Grandpa actually lived through these things. (He's got some amazing stories about life as a POW in WWII--hard to believe that my jolly, smiling Grandpa lived in such gritty circumstances.)

Sunday, some of Alex's work buddies were gracious enough to help us roof half of our building! (Remember that building I was talking about waaay back in December? Yeah, that building.) Thanks to Keith & Josh's hard work, and some help from Rudy--while Mylene and I supervised--we got half the roof up in about five hours. We're all feeling the aches and lack of sleep today, though. (Thank you, guys!!!)

Aaaand that takes us up to today, which was spent cleaning, filing, and looking for my 2004 mileage book. Did I mention that I dislike filing taxes?

Quick & Dirty

Here's a link to my uploaded Flickr madness. (Also, here's the link to some of the Edible Books that I promised.)

Blogging to follow.

Imaginostalgia

...So in the webcomics world, I suppose I'm way behind, but today I discovered Jellaby (of the Secret Friends Society). It fills me with nostalgia for Calvin & Hobbes and for my own childhood of solitude and imagination. It makes me, again, want to comic. I am so putting one of these on my birthday wishlist (strong hint here, Alex).

I discovered it while perusing the Eisner Nominations, courtesy of the ever-astoundingly talented Ursula Vernon--she comics! she paints! she writes! she blogs! Drat her for being multifacetedly (yes, that's a word) talented and productive. And kudos to her for her own Eisner nomination and for making a living by her art.

And in other news, yesterday I got my beautiful seductive copy of the complete "Crisis on Infinite Earths," so I can finally discover what was going on in comics while I was playing dress-up and watching the Royals win. Namely, the incredible insanity that took DC in 1985, and why Barbara Gordon now has to be Jim's adopted daughter, and why they had to kill off Supergirl entirely. It calls, it beckons, its full-color pages sing like sirens, but I'm stubbornly turning my back and working on schoolwork. Phooey.

Yes, I just spent an hour sketching and thinking up comic ideas. Yes, I'm now going to responsibly spend the next two hours before work on taxes and schoolwork and jobsearching. No, you can't see my sketches.

Sheesh.

Good Times

Want to witness a chronological oddity?

...yeah, me neither.

Photographic Evidence

Uploaded new photos at Flickr. Check 'em out.

Eat a Book!

Today I had the great fun of attending the Edible Books Festival in the Rare Books Room. I ate Book-lava, savored A Clockwork Orange-and-chocolate-cake, and laughed at a clever sandwich book titled My Bologna Has a First Name. I got to see many SLIS and Willis pals that I haven't seen in awhile and got a sugar high.

For past Edible Books fun, see the 2004 and 2003 winners. Or read about how this whole bizarre thing got started. You can also look at this year's winners for the Art Book Competition. (I'll link to this year's photos as soon as they're up.)

My personal favorite: Great American Novel (some assembly required)

I've desired to and somehow avoided entering both of these competitions each year for the seven I've been at UNT. I need to get my act together and make some tasty and/or artistic books.