So, I was feeling creative tonight. As with the last few times this happened and something came out of it, the whole thing started with a desire to create something and a drink - I think Hemingway would approve. It was one of those hit or miss things, I could have just as easily popped in a movie or played on the computer, but instead I dragged out my clipboard and lit some candles. The whole candlelight thing will explain the coloring - apparently, by firelight pink and peach look very similar. Also, the way I was sitting required a bit of movement between looking down at the drawing in front of me and up at the mirror somewhat behind me, so the lower portion of the face ended up kind of elongated. The extreme shading also bothers me some. I was trying to draw what was there from the poor lighting, but seeing it for the fifth time or so, I just look dirty.





The whole thing made made me look at some of my previous drawings, since y'know, they were pinned to the face of the clipboard when I brought it out. This one was from one of those nights in 2006 where I couldn't sit still, and the drawing that started on the couch in front of the tv was abandoned in favor of playing on the keyboard, which was abandoned to make some food, where I passed the drawing and picked it back up... I swear if I hadn't been in a confined space I would've gotten myself lost. This was intended to be cartoonish, but somewhere in between the first and second time walking away, I forgot that. This is stylistically and quality-wise, probably my favorite of the three here, but I look terminally exhausted and a little depressed. This was actually done up for a character, and given the story that went with it, that would explain the expression. Still I like it. There was another drawing I did the same night, but I decided not to bother putting it up here since, in true style of that night, I walked away and never finished it.





Gee Shaun, that's an awful lot of pictures you've drawn of yourself. Yes but in my defense, I've seen my own face nearly every day for close to 30 years (yes there are some that I have not), so it's familiar. Plus, I can sit still for long periods of time, and I'm always in the mood to do the same things I want to do at the moment - there's a synergy there. This one was probably done back in 2005, also with low light, and as you can see, a drink. While the top one had perhaps too much, there is no hint of real shading here.

I'm thinking that it's time for another installment of "I used to know this guy. I think his name was Shaun...or something like that"

As those who catch this are aware, I update this semi-annually at best. It's not that I intentially try to keep people in the dark so much as that there's not much to write about on a day-to-day basis. For those usual occasions I promise those who do ask that I will come back with more news when something happens. When something noteworthy occurs, then it's time to be caught up in the moment, either revelling in the event, or putting out the fires. So, what's happened to me? That depends. What was the last you heard?

To cover all bases, I'll go back a couple of years and cover the milestones. The standard caution applies: if you get disoriented or nauseous by following stream of consciousness, have a friend take notes and map a straight course through the diatribe.

With much hemming and hawing on my part, and much support from my friends and roommates, I left my job as an alternate security manager back in 2006. I almost stayed with it due to concerns about where to get the next paycheck and hesitancy to start anew again, but as my friends put it, "Don't worry about that, you can't stay, you're f^*&in miserable there". Of course, they were right; I spent from spring to winter of 2006 as a full-time college student, and my mood improved immediately. Even as a professional student, I feel that I did not have the typical college experience, being in my mid-20s and attending most of the courses I took with a good friend, rather than the starting from scratch living off ramen experience I hear so much about. I think the fact that I was a professional student, and not full-time student or even student, might help to explain why it was a-typical.

In Jan 2007, my friends moved by assignment to Toronto. This was a little rough; not only had I been living with these friends for the past 2 to 4 years, but it started the first time I ever lived fully on my own, no family, no roommates, solo. I've been up to see them twice, and theyve been down to visit on occasion, but with any good friend, it's never enough (As is, I'm still trying to figure out how to move New England, the Mid-Atlantic and portions of the Mid-West closer together to no avail). Luckily, I've still friends in the area, and from January through April I kept myself busy renovating condos; either the one I was moving from, the one I was moving into, the one my friend was putting up for rent, or the one he was moving into. Having some sort of construction, remodeling, painting, wallpapering or other project kept me occupied, and arguably sane, and would continue every weekend through October, but in April I decided that the savings were run low enough that I would have to leave college life (such as it was living off-campus with not a sign of the frat/sorority life that the movies tell us exist) and get back to work. Another of my friends interviewed me for a position as a contractor with the Army, and I started a job in organizational analysis/design that month.

This has been a great job. I always expect the first month to be slow as I learn the ropes, especially since I have never made a major change to my life with any knowledge whatsoever of what I was getting myself into (As an example, I went from casual postal clerk to military Linguist, to alternate security manager, to student, to organizational analyst, to analyst/contracting functional lead). But a year later this job continues to challenge me on a daily basis.

The latest excitement had been over the past few weeks. Despite our best efforts, our contract ran out before the next vehicle was in place. I've spent the time either working from home or the company HQ trying to get things resolved so we can get back to the real work. If, in whatever venue, you're used to seeing me and I haven't been around, good chances I was either working directly on that or exhausted from it. Vague? Yes; probably. Accurate? Most definitely. Could I explain further? Yes, yes I could; but I know what it's like to have your eyes cross from too much text on the monitor, and I'd like to save you that trouble. Would I share further the next time we sit down for drinks? Sure, but I know my stories hit or miss (So I was camping...), so the first sign of eyes glazing over we should probably abandon the topic for another time.

That's it; the major points at least. Day-to-day rigors, special events, contact with old friends, might make good stories for some, and lousy for others, so just take my word: I'm still alive, things have been hectic at times, and good.

So I mentioned it to a few, but I guess it's time I posted something... every once in a while, you know. Maybe at least once or twice a year.

I guess a quick year review for anyone who hadn't heard, here are the main events as they stand out in my head at this particular moment:

Over Christmas time frame, Mish & Peggy moved to the snowy wilds of Canada for an assignment up there. Sucks, and we're counting down until you guys move back states-side.

In conjunction with that, I did a bunch of work with tons of help from Mish, Mike, Kat, my brother and my dad to try and prep the large condo for sale while I moved into a place more appropriately sized for one.

Helped Mike renovating his old condo and even managed to learn some of the roads up there with the various trips.

Got back to work; I'm once again amongst the employed. Had mixed feelings about abandoning the life of a college student, but I like my new job and I can pay my bills, so there's really nothing to complain about.

Had two good trips up to Toronto. Mostly hanging out and catching up w/ Mish & Peggy which is always priority on a trip like that, but also taking in a few sites & shows. On the first trip I got my introduction to the city, some good pubs & coffee shops and the comic shop Mish patronizes (the good way, not the sarcastic one); we also caught Rocky Horror, which I had never seen on stage. On the second trip Mish, Peggy, Mike, Kat (sometimes Steven & Elaine) & I caught some of the tourist attractions; we happened to have scheduled our trip on Toronto's "Open Doors" weekend, and places that normally were closed or open w/ admission were free to the public. We hit a park and a cemetery, but the puppy ran us ragged in between - vicious attack dacshund. We also watched a bunch of one of the local sitcoms "Corner Gas"; if you haven't seen it, do so.

My stratus got stolen, found, broken down, repaired, broken down again, and finally dragged off to NH where Chucky will either fix it or scrap it. Got a new car, so yay reliable wheels.

Went back to NH over the 4th and had another bonfire of epic proportions. Of course, the timeline went, woke up for work Friday; realized my car died, got a rental, lost my debit card, nearly couldn't pick up the rental (Thanks again for bailing me out on that one Chuck), had to meet the painter to do a post-work inspection, and finally managed to get on the road. Arrived in NH at apprx 6 now Saturday, stayed up chatting w/ my dad until 8:30 (up 26 hours now) and crashed for 2 hours before heading to the local bank to try and get a new debit card. Spent the rest of the days prepping the fire area and hanging w/ friends, then finally closed out the fire at 7am Sunday. It was a pretty bad day, but makes for a colorful story. Plus I have a pretty good vid of Dave, dwarfed by the bonfire, on my phone now. The rest of the trip was calm and relaxed compared to the day getting up there, but as always seemed too short.

Work picked up this last week as my friend (and boss) actually took a week of vacation - I'm thinking a sign of the apocolypse is gonna be sung in by The Cure any second now. But this has left me with a lot more responsibility, and with the week over (thankfully) the bosses think I've done a good job. Some people some of the time I guess.

Those are the major events I can recall at the moment, most of the rest has been work, WoW, or Mike & Kat kepping me somewhat socially enganged and keeping me from my hermitage.

Wheee! Saga-length posts!

I have no idea what that subject line is supposed to mean, but it sounds good to me. I have escorted the bandits, I mean the Watergate building engineer, through the condo this morning which officially signals the last of my work on the place. Cleaning, painting, building, trimming, all done - though not in that order. Tonight my dad should get in with the van and I'll load up the last of the tools and things that didn't fit in my tiny car.

Whew. Now on to everything else.

So, I've busted my first dead-line to have everything in the condo done by this afternoon and got a week extension (weak extension? I dunno). Last night took me to 3:30am wobbling on a ladder in a room full of paint fumes, so the extra time really helps, but I'm more than a little disappointed that I forced the condo market-date back.

Bah.

So this afternoon will be the big, bad Bio final, right on the heels of our last math test. Only fitting that this is the first thing I see when I check my mail this morning.



Heh

Well, that's the end of my intro to computers class. I wasn't too worried about the final this morning, but I had no idea it would be that simple. Phoenix930 & I were out of the room w/in 25 minutes.

I guess that just leaves U.S. history class today, cramming for the bio final wednesday, history Thursday, a math test and bio final Friday, packing all my stuff, moving Sunday, and my last two finals the next week. Bleh. Sometime in there I need to have my xscripts evaluated, brush my resume off, and decide if I can go back to school next semester or if I'm rejoining the work force immediately. Well, maybe with another office job I'll have more time for e-mail :)

Well, looks like I held off about as long as I could, but here we go. I finally get an LJ thing. If you know me, you know I'm going to be horrible about keeping up to date with this, so I'm not too worried.