Why caviar is expensive

Someone just called me a sturgeon.

Why?

Because I act like one when someone's fishing for information.

Sturgeons will nibble at bait, and just when you think youve got them, theyre gone.

"You were with (LeGirl) this evening?"
"Sure. I stopped by her job, she asked me if I was doing ok, we chatted a bit, I left. I do that a lot."
"You never mentioned you see her that often."
"You never asked."
"Man, youre such a sturgeon."

Heh.

Color 'em sold gone

yamB: didja have your show yet?
JPennant: it was moved to May
yamB: nod
JPennant: Im already selling prints :-)
yamB: where?
JPennant: Just sold 2 to former co-workers at Deloitte
yamB: cool
JPennant: 3 more to clerks at the post office :-)
JPennant: and 2 to guys at the shelter
JPennant: hee
yamB: are ya gonna sell any on the net?
JPennant: yup
yamB: natch
JPennant: I wasnt gonna, to tell ya the truth
JPennant: sell prints, that is. Just show 'em.
JPennant: but they seem to be selling themselves when I do show them.
yamB: as well they should! ;-)
JPennant: so far the biggest sellers are "Still Water" and "Showing the Blues"
yamB: you could prolly sell them down here, on the street with no problem
JPennant: heheh, THERE"S an idea. :-)
yamB: at the beach or a swap meet
JPennant: that might be fun :-)
yamB: your stuff is way better than anything i've seen in those locations
JPennant: really?
yamB: well, maybe that's not a good comparison....
yamB: yours should be more in galleries than some cheesy flea market
JPennant: whoa
JPennant: I dont even think Im at that level yet
yamB: seriously
JPennant: well, lets see how it goes at the cheesy markets first :-)
JPennant: theyve got money too ;-)
yamB: but going those avenues might be a way to get your name out there too
JPennant: Im not being modest, but Im actually surprised people are coming to me wanting to buy
yamB: well, the next time you consider coming south, maybe we could look into what it would take to sell at one of those places
JPennant: thats incentive to visit for a weekend at least
yamB: might even pay for your visit ;-)
JPennant: LoL
JPennant: I aint counting on it :-)
yamB: haha, no ya cant do that :-)

Ok, this is fun.

Prepping, printing, mounting images. Im havin' a ball.

Sure, I worry that Im going through (*expensive*!!) ink cartridges and (*expensive*!!) Espon paper much, much too quickly.. but goshadarnit.. it is fun.

Even more fun when people "ooh" and "ahh" over the prints.

Big ego massage, that. (Us Dragons need genuine and massive amounts of ego boosts to live.)

Actually, the big ego boost of the day was when one man, who gives me much good-natured grief went "FUCK!!" upon first seeing the prints.

Hee. :-)

The buzz of deadlines, doing what I truly like to do, the mental gymnastics of troubleshooting, the silent cursing of learning through blood, sweat and tears.. all dat, and more.

Love it.

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Marn wrote:

You know, perspective is an interesting thing.

Last week if you'd said to me, "Marn, the right side of your face is going to be partially frozen for a while and you're going to have to put goo in your eye three times a day" I would have been horrified. There would have been mass quantities of anguish and drama.

But now I'm all, "Woo HOOOOOO, It's Not A Stroke" and everything else seems like small potatos.

Mira asked me the other day "What do you do with your time every day?"

I think she expected a forward moving itinerary or list.

I didnt give her a straight answer.

Apart from sitting around waiting on beauracratic nonsense, the honest answer is...

Nothing.

Or, more accurately... nothing that I dont want to do.

Its pure joy to have the relative freedom to live my life the way I want, but the other day I realized that there is something that MUST change.

Do I do what I want because Im FORCED to do it or do what I want when I CHOOSE?

Which means I do have to be more proactive, for as I get older, Im appreciating the value of time, and how precious it is.

Sometimes I go "DAMN, I wish I'd have done all this earlier!"

Sorry, I wish I could articulate this better.

But long story short - I appreciate the life and freedom I have to live on the path I want to be on.

Because I need to be doing nothing that I dont want to do.

For as Marn sums the matter:

And because you can hear the clock softly ticking, ticking, ticking and you know that the verb "can't" is going to have to become a bigger part of your vocabulary.


Some day.


But not now.

Not just yet.

Objective found.

Oh yeah

Vanilla Malted Shake served Chicago-style. (ie the metal shake cup mit leftover shake served alongside the regular cup.)

Gotten at Burger Depot, Solano Avenue and San Pablo - Berkeley/Albany border.

Expensive, but not bad.

*urp*

Ok, next comfort food craving.

Jamaican Patty and Cocoa Bread.

Heh, mission impossible...

With Friends like these

A: It seems like I bump into Joe everywhere. No one else.. I hardly ever bump into anyone I know here.
George: About how many times have you guys randomly bumped into each other?
A: About 5 times now.

Lessee.. on the BART train, downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt, downtown Berkeley

And today when I walked into the Berkeley Espresso coffeeshop, there was George and A, who had decided to drop by Berkeley while doing errands.

Amazing amount of sernedipity y happenstance.

Fine by me.. Im always glad to see 'em. :-)
---------
So Marn had a stroke-like episode over the weekend.

Turns out its only Bell's Palsy, not a stroke. I know IM relieved.

Does Marn confine herself to bed rest? Oh Nooo.

Marn being Marn... SHE DRIVES HERSELF TO THE GYM AND CONTINUES WORKING OUT.

Geminis being .. well, Geminis.. they tend to do things like that.

(Low boredom threshold and all)

Heh.

Glad yer Ok, hon.

And Poo.. dont let her give you no ideas.
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A dear friend got in touch and said she wanted to buy one of my images.

Which would be fine with me, except that she has proven herself as one who never needs to ask for anything from me.

Sure, I can use the cash.. but nah.

R: "You should give her the print."
Me: "Yeah, I intend to. But she wants to pay for it."
R: "She wants to help. But if she insists, well ok.."
Me: "Yeah, but she doesnt have to with me."

Ok, but Im gonna do right by her, as she has done right by me and for me over the years.

I insist.
----
If anyone sees me walking about and using a top-of-the-line laptop, lemme tell ya - it aint mine.

It was lent to me to prep and print my images.

She's not a stranger, but I doubt she knows my name.

Yes. Really.

That's an extra-ordinary amount of trust being shown.

Oaklanders have a rep of being rough and tough - but hang out here awhile.. and you'll find an extraordinarily high level of heart here.

Theyre wary of being taken advantage of, but will demonstrate a high level of acceptance and caring.

Ive gotten to know some good folk here.

And Im glad for it.

Craving Comfort

When the pain went away, I craved Mexican food something fierce.

I tried going to the place on Foothill and 42nd ("The Best Chicken in Town") in Oakland. It was .. Ok.

But the taco truck on the corner of Foothill and 14th Avenue took care of that craving with a massive chicken burrito.

For 3.50.. not bad at all.

Then it was a craving for a *real* diner breakfast.

Hash Browns, Omelette, toast.

Admirably filled by Broom Bush Cafe on San Pablo and Dwight Way in Berkeley.

10 bux breakfast tho. Slightly deflated the joy when that shoulda been a five bux breakfast.

Ah well.

Now, I have a serious craving for... a milk shake.

A Vanilla Malted Shake done chicago style.

What is wrong with me?

On tha flipside

Oh yeah, there was good news from my medical episode...

My blood-pressure is abso-lootely normal.

No coffee = Cessation of hypertension and some of its associated maladies.

Woohoo.

However, one nurse at Highland Hospital opined..

"You know, I read an article somewhere that coffee helps against the symptoms of diabetes. So it might be that all that coffee youve been drinking, along with being a non-smoker and non-drinker actually PROTECTED you."

Heh. Everybody's a wise guy.

Normal blood pressure is good.

No more coffee.

Ok, Im lying ... chai tea isnt doin' it fer me. So, Im doing decaf espresso drinks....

For now.

Anybody know a good coffee substitute?
---------
The weather in the Bay Area is back to normal.

Fog in the morning, sunshine in the day, cold in the evening and night - and rain in the forecast.

The fleece goes back on.

But it's spring!

Bring out the jackets.

Silver lining, my ass.

My show has been pushed back a month, I learned last night.

Im not irritated.

Im, like, *so* much mature (Marn's fav word) than that.

No show in April. Pushed back to May.

Ive been waiting since last AUGUST.

Motherfucker.

The *@^#%@%^ woman who flaked MONTHS ago NOW decides that she wants in.

She bitches to the owner of the place, who orders the co-ordinator to make room on the schedule and now I have MORE time to prepare.

*humph*

Of course its good news, you kiddin'?

I get more time to prepare. I have time to get better art supplies. I can get more help.

Still tho... I didnt NEED more time. I also told a zillion people that I'd be showing in April. And really I was being QUITE motivated by that sense of urgency.

And I wanted this to be OVER thanyouveryfuckinmuch. Ive got too much OTHER things to do.

"But this is a GOOD thing. You get more time!"
"Yeah, and a litle more cash become available for art supplies."
"So, itsa good thing right?"
"Yeah, but I dont want more time. I get lazy if I know if I have time."
"Man, there's no pleasing you, is there? :-)"

Answer censored.
------------

Today's horrorscope:

Mars, planet of action and energy, leaves your fellow earth sign of Taurus today, but there is no reason your own energy should wane.

You have built up a good head of steam in recent weeks and if you are sensible you can keep it going for quite some time.

Yeah, thats my achilles. I get too comfortable when I know I have time to spare.

Time for some Jedi Mind Trix.
----------
All fire-breathing drama aside, I do know this is all for the best.

As I was telly Doc Goodhead in her comments.. the things that are supposed to Be, Let them Be.

Or sumthing like that.

So, see y'all there in May.