I Learned a Valuable Lesson Today

So, we've started moving into our awesome new house.  We're taking it slow, since the lease on the apartment isn't up for a few months yet.  Still, my studio equipment has been some of the first stuff over.  I've been super excited, since I now I have a garage to do all my messy and hazardous stuff in.  I still haven't gotten all my jewelry stuff unpacked, but my painting supplies were pretty much just carried over from the apartment.  I've honestly been itching to paint, and it hasn't been possible for a while in the apartment due to bathroom issues (I'd been setting things in the tub to dry so the cat didn't get into it).  So, after running all my errands and doing a bit of housy stuff, I put on my paintin' clothes and got down to business.  I'll post pics of my new studio space once we're fully into the house, but in the meantime, behold the evening's work.

So, a few posts ago I posted the first panel of a diptych I've been working on.  Here's an in progress of the second panel.  I managed to get the background in at the apartment before I had to give up there, so tonight was blocking in the tower.

So, here's the two panels together.  Looks like I'll have to make adjustments on the second panel, but that's only to be expected.  I've got one, maybe two more layers to put on which is plenty to make corrections.  For those who don't paint, it's not unusual to have many layers, especially with oil.  You should have seen the first layer on the warm panel--it looked like the floor of an abattoir.  I'm not sure yet which panel should go on which side, but it does have a title: Tower of Dreams.

So, I've had this random panel lying around my apartment since the painting class I took in undergrad.  Seriously, it's been around for years.  I figured, I'm almost done with the diptych, may as well go ahead and get started on this one.  This is just the background layer--who knows how much will get covered up.  I'm thinking something vaguely jungley at this point, but we'll see where it goes.  This is a smaller panel--the diptych panels are 2' x 4', this one is 2' square.

Anyway, I'm sure by now you're wondering about the important lesson I learned today.  In art school, every beginning class covers the safety precautions one should take when working with a particular medium.  Said precautions are usually taken for about half the semester, then are pretty well forgotten, unless one is teaching someone else.

The safety lesson for painting was the importance of ventilation.  For the last few years, I've painted outside, or in the living room of the apartment, which is a pretty open space.  The garage at the house, while quite spacious is only a one car garage.

I forgot about ventilation tonight.  Since I was alone and it was dark by the time I got started, I didn't want to leave the garage door open, and I didn't even think about just cracking it.

An hour and a half, 16 oz of orange soda, a cadbury cream egg, some lifesavers, and a good teeth/mouth brushing later, my mouth still tastes like I've been eating paint and mineral spirits.  I think if I had a match I could set my breath on fire.  And, while that would be an awesome trick, it can't be healthy.

So, yeah, ventilation.  It's important.

The Question

So, there is a phrase that I would like to see banned from casual use in America.  It is perpetually used as a greeting, and no one actually wants a true answer to it.  It gets asked in all sorts of awkward situations where the real answer is probably negative, but social convention demands that we answer in the positive.  The question?

How are you?

The "right" answer is, "fine."  But let's face it, are you really always fine?  No, of course not.  That would involve some sort of horrid psychological disorder where you couldn't feel certain emotions.  No one is happy all the time, no one's life is going great all the time.  If you think yours is, you're lying to yourself.  But if you're having a shitty day, you have to answer, "Oh, I'm fine, thanks," because the stranger who just asked you doesn't really care how your day is going.  Indeed, they especially don't want to know if things are going badly.

Now, you might be wondering, wow, how does she really feel?  Or, but Linda always asks me how I'm doing.  And I do.  If I care.  See, if I ask someone how they are, I genuinely want to know, because I care about them.  If I don't care, I don't ask. 

Seriously, watch me when I wait on a customer or am waited on.  I don't ever greet people I don't know with, "Hi, how are you?"  I don't want to know.  I especially don't do this to clerks when I'm out shopping because I figure, they're at work.  Their day has already taken a turn for the worse, especially if they work some place soul sucking, like Walmart.

That's actually where my hatred of the Question began.  See, once upon a time I enjoyed a stint as a Walmart cashier.  It was the shittiest job I have ever had, and that includes three years of drive thru.  By the time I quit, I was answering the Question truthfully, with, "Not good," and "I work here."

 "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

After recovering from Walhell, I was better able to fake it, but I still avoid the question from strangers when I can, or at least try to put a less negative spin on it.

For example, yesterday I went to the doctor.  I have a sinus infection.  I was all congested and dizzy, so I was kinda staggering back and forth a little.  I'm choking on all the drainage going down my throat (and still am, actually).  The nurse asks me the Question.  "I've been better," I respond.  What I'm thinking though, is, "I'm at the fucking doctor's office, and it's not a routine visit, how the fuck do you think I am?"

 

And ya know, the Question is always more annoying when you've had a crappy day, because you're expected to repress that and pretend like everything is fabulous.


 
So I give you a challenge this day:  Don't ask if you don't really want to know.  And when people ask you, be honest.

This actually happened to a childhood friend.  It might have been an accident.

I'm Not Dead Yet!

Work's been a bit crazy lately, and we're working on getting the house, hence the delay in posting.  Don't worry, though, I'm still alive and well.

Unfortunately, my brain's been a bit fried, so coming up with blog content has been tough.

Me lately.

Anyway, I thought I might just do some updates from other posts here, so ya'll don't give up on me.  The plan for conquering Antarctica is still a go, just as soon as we've amassed enough troops.  I'm thinking early spring will be a good time, as the scientists will be running with skeleton crews from the winter and will have been beaten down by all the weather.  Shall we plan for August?

The car's voice controls are still weird, although I've realized part of my problem is that you have to say the album title exactly as it is in your ipod.  So, if I want to enjoy Dr. Horrible, I have to request, "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog the Motion Picture Soundtrack."  Silly car.  The hubby borrowed it for a road trip and said it was like playing Zork.  No sign of grues, yet, though.  Must be hiding in the trunk with the spare tire.

The succubus book was disappointing.  Apparently, vampires are also fallen angels and if you have sex with one and then have sex with a not evil fallen angel it turns you into a succubus.

The ponies have multiplied.  I don't know how, they're all girls.  Although, I found it amusing that a set got put aside for me by my coworkers.

I have finished The Incredible Hulk.  The ending was a bit of a downer, but at least Banner was finally free of his curse.  Quantum Leap is up next, although it will have to go slower due to cost constraints.  Maybe I can stream it on Netflix.  Scott Bakula is so awesome.  Maybe that will be my next post: "Actors I think are hot."

I was unable to finish My Little Ponies, S1.  It went back to work, where it sold as my staff pick.

UConn beat UK, which resulted in much moping all around.  I laughed.  A lot.

So until next time, when I will hopefully have more going on in my brain, enjoy your catnip and gooshy foods!

Linda out.