D.C. Jump

[on a brief layover in DC, I stopped in to check out the new Capitol Visitor Center]

Friday December 12 2008

File under: travel, misc

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on Fri 12th Dec, 2008 09:06 pm PST Nesbitt said: I can't believe you didn't call! You are in DC like all the time! ************************ on Fri 12th Dec, 2008 10:40 pm PST Mom said: So is the joint getting all spruced up for the incoming administration? ************************ on Fri 12th Dec, 2008 10:54 pm PST per said: ya know, that dome is made proportionally to accept that pose perfectly within the circular vault of its heavens. who's that standing on top? anybody... ************************ on Sat 13th Dec, 2008 02:42 pm PST Joe said: per, to answer your question, i believe its your mother ;-) ************************ on Sat 13th Dec, 2008 11:49 pm PST Dave said: The Statue of Freedom, of course. And there is a law that no private building in DC is allowed to be built taller than that statue. ************************

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FC 55 - Building Walls

It's back to the old one panel comics, at least for a bit. My little foray into the multi-panel comics with a plot, recurring characters, (inside jokes,) etc. was a good experience, though, and I imagine I will readdress the genre before too long. But for now, back to my origins. I give credit to my brother's friend Kevin for this one, although he may not know it. He didn't do the drawing (as you can tell by my now tell tale style), but he did give the inspiration for the joke. (Inspiration for the plaid shirts, however, came from my many years of manual outdoor labor.) (P.S. No, this isn't an editorial comic trying to undermine security precautions or in support of terrorism. Believe me, it's not that complicated. If you don't get it, you probably do but it just isn't funny. (That last caveat pretty much goes for all my comics.))

Friday December 12 2008

File under: comc

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on Fri 12th Dec, 2008 12:12 pm PST Hope said: bwa ha ha! ************************ on Fri 12th Dec, 2008 07:28 pm PST Joe said: :-) ************************ on Mon 15th Dec, 2008 05:54 pm PST Jule said: I thought I came up with that one and then Kevin said it loud enough to be funny. or maybe it was the other way around. ************************

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Punkstos Bday

Punksto, hands down the cutest child in her generation of my family, turned six years old this weekend. We made the trek down to Olympia to help her celebrate, and celebrate she did! Family dinner, delicious cake, and a party at the gymnastics place, where mats for tumbling, bars for swinging, and trampolines for bouncing abounded. (It was a great place to practice the new(ish) trick.) ((The gymnastics place didn't let "adults" play on the equipment, which was kind of like putting a piece of pizza in front of someone on the Atkins diet, pure hell. I was ready to risk it all and make a break for the springboard into the foam pit. But I held myself back, for Punksto's sake. I guess that is my present to her: not getting her banned from the gym.))

Monday December 8 2008

File under: misc

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on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 11:27 am PST gretchen said: happy belated birthday, cora! we were certainly thinking of you on your special day. i hope your birthday wishes all come true! ************************ on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 03:24 pm PST Saxtor said: Adults can't play on the equipment, but grandmas can, it appears. Margaret appears to be putting all that living room trampolining to good use. ************************ on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 06:48 pm PST Joe said: I just put it together that Cora and Punksto are the same kid. How'd she get that name? ************************ on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 07:20 pm PST Mom said: Here's the poem Cora recited to us on her birthday: When I was one I had just begun. When I was two I was nearly new. When I was three I was more and more me. when I was four I was even more. When I was five I was so alive. But now I'm six, I'm as clever as clever. So, I think I'll be six now forever and ever. adapted from A.A. Milne ************************ on Tue 09th Dec, 2008 08:05 pm PST Andrew said: Rhyming "clever" with "clever"? Brilliance! Happy Birthday Punks! ************************

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FC 54 - The Rebuttal

You can tell right away, dear long time reader, that this comic wasn't made by me. Not because it is inferior in artistic quality or joke caliber. Quite the opposite I would say. Any pen and paper drawing automatically gets props above any paint shop pro-ed drawing. As for the joke caliber, I genuinely LOLed. Ms. Hannah (of HBadventure) provided this comic without so much as a paint fill bucket click by me. It is her rebuttal to my recent series (that stars a character that may or may not be loosely based on her). (If you haven't been following that series, allow me to refresh your memory.) Throw in a little game night inside jokery, and voila. Inside jokes are funny. So is this comic. Thanks Hannah! (P.S. See? One panel comics can be funny!)

Thursday December 4 2008

File under: comic

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on Fri 05th Dec, 2008 10:36 am PST Saxtor said: Now THIS is a comic. Clowns - check Ninjas - check A mega-burn - checkcheckcheckcheckcheck Huzzah! ************************ on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 06:35 pm PST Dave said: now that I get it I think rebuttal comics are great! ************************

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Pictionary Telephone

What happens when you mix the wonderful drawing game pictionary(tm) and that wacky whispering kids game telephone? Pictionary Telephone of course! Here's how it works: 1. Everyone starts with a half sheet of paper. (The more vertically oriented the better. I usually split 8x11 sheets vertically.) 2. On the top of the sheet, each person writes a short common phrase (book title, catch phrase, adage, etc. 3. Here comes the crucial step: each person folds the top of their paper back so that the phrase is still visible, but upside on the backside, leaving the front of the paper empty. Diagram 1a. 4. Once everyone has written their phrase, every passes their sheet to the left. 5. Now everyone draws a picture representing the phrase on his/her sheet of paper. It is best to keep the picture small, again aligned to the top of the page. Pictionary rules apply: no letters, numbers, or symbols. 6. Fold the paper in the same manner as before. This fold should cause the original phrase to be hidden (by being folded under) and only the picture to show (upside down on the back of the paper). Diagram 1b. * 7. Pass the papers to the left. 8. Now everyone writes what phrase they think the picture represents (again at the top of the paper.) 9. Now pass again. This cycle of guessing the phrase from a drawing and drawing a phrase repeats until there is no more paper. After the sheets are mostly used up, unfold them and pass them around, so everyone can see the hilarity that came about. Sometimes the drawings are so good and the phrases so memorable that they make it all the way through without being changed: example 1, example 2. Sometimes things start out in the right direction and take a bit of a left turn:example 3, example 4, example 5. Sometimes it's not even close*: example 6.

Wednesday December 3 2008

File under: games

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on Wed 03rd Dec, 2008 12:50 pm PST Joe said: lol omg...great game idea...i'm still keeled over in laughter from example 6 hahahaha ************************ on Wed 03rd Dec, 2008 02:12 pm PST Saxtor said: Please note that my masterful drawing of Europe left out France altogether. And in my defense for the "not even close, that "dog" doesn't look like any dog I've ever seen. ************************ on Wed 03rd Dec, 2008 11:43 pm PST Horge said: For now at least, the crucial Diagram 1b picture actually brings up 1a again... ************************ on Thu 04th Dec, 2008 10:55 am PST Wren said: Horge, excellent observation. That's why I keep you guys around: you're the best editors a guy could wish for. ************************ on Mon 08th Dec, 2008 03:20 pm PST Saxtor said: By the sounds of it, this is a high-brow, literary version of this game. ************************

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Handmade Hat Sale

As you know, I like to knit. The thing is, the only garment I know how to knit, more or less, is hats. I like knitting hats. Here are some hats I made. I want my friends to have them. So I am having a hat "sale". The price is $10 a piece which includes shipping. The reason it is a "sale" instead of a sale is that $10 won't even cover the cost of the wool and shipping. The reason I am charging $10 instead of just giving them away is because I want you to want the hat you receive. It is a terrible injustice when a handmade hat goes unworn, and since you know your tastes better and your current headgear needs better than me, I figured this is a way to help make sure these hats fulfill their destiny. If you want one, let me know. (And if you want any more info about a particular hat, I can provide that as well.) size: Large color: Brown and black This is one that I wear pretty often. It is from pretty thick yarn, so makes for a warm hat. I wear it with the bottom edge folded up. A small head would swim in this hat. view 2 size: Medium (to small) color: blue with white/grey stripe This one looks funny on me in the pictures because I have a huge head and it works better on a smaller head (although a friend with a small head tried it on and it was too big for her, so medium heads might like this one best). Warmness-wise, it is not arctic wear. More for fall and spring temps. view 2 size: Large color: Shades of red In case the texture don't come through well in the photos, this uses a frilly* yarn combined with a wool yarn, so it gives an overall fuzzy texture. It is made to be a little loose, but it will still keep you plenty warm. (It would take a bold man to wear this hat, as I see it more as a woman's hat.) view 2 size: Medium color: Flecked brown with off-white bottom A tight knit hat that will keep you plenty warm. The bottom border is cotton, so doesn't made your forehead itchy*. view 2 size: Large color: Red shades Notice in the picture, the 3 ribs towards the bottom rim of the hat. That's what I call style*. This hat is made from pretty thick wool and is made to be a little loose on your head. view 2 size: Small color:Green with 3 purple stripes No picture of me wearing this hat because I just can't get it on. It is more the size of a small headed adult or a normal headed child. I think it would be a very cute hat for a child with the curl at the bottom and the little nipple at the top. Very cute. The yarn for this one isn't too thick so this hat won't overheat your little one.

Sunday November 30 2008

File under: misc

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on Sun 30th Nov, 2008 03:04 pm PST Sean said: Your model should sport different facial hair styles to accentuate the moods and personalities of the different beanies!! ************************ on Sun 30th Nov, 2008 06:42 pm PST Ryan Walters said: Are these hats pre-washed?... ************************ on Sun 30th Nov, 2008 09:19 pm PST Andrew said: A sweet idea! I am impressed! I would buy me one of your headgear if only you made it wool free... ************************ on Sun 30th Nov, 2008 10:25 pm PST Wren said: Sean, I agree that the model aspect of this post is lacking, but you would be surprised at what kind of looks when you ask people to "be a model on my blog". Andrew, I should have mentioned: the wool for these hats comes from sheep that have had all 4 legs planted firmly in the soil so they are technically more like plants than animals, ergo vegan friendly. ************************ on Sun 30th Nov, 2008 11:48 pm PST Joe said: i'm very impressed wren. it takes a real man to admit he can knit. you also make some cool lookin hats. i want one! ************************ on Mon 01st Dec, 2008 04:58 am PST Sean said: I meant with you modeling all the hats. Just cut your facial hair different for each picture. And maybe wear some glasses with one of them. ************************ on Mon 01st Dec, 2008 11:16 pm PST Horge said: Cool hats! But I'm just curious about your description of hat #6. Exactly what does it mean for a child to have a "curl at the bottom"? Do you mean "male" or "with ingrown toenails"? And what kind of a child has a "nipple at the top"? I'm pretty sure it's standard to have two near the middle, or three if you're a topless, dirt-mall psychic... ************************

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FC 53 - Reverse Facepalm (a.k.a. Not Funny)

I "drew" this comic completely left-handedly. I hurt my right wrist kayaking last week (and I suppose attempting to help move heavy rocks and play a couple high stakes games of frisbee last weekend didn't help). Luckily, following the lead of a co-working a couple years ago, I got into the habit of periodically switching which hand I use to mouse around, so I've become somewhat mousebedextrious. Anyhoo, as the title implies, this comic isn't necessarily supposed to be funny. I'm trying out a common comic artist/author trick of using a holiday as an excuse to write a non-funny comic and instead expressing the sentiment of the holiday. As I may have mentioned before, Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday and not only for the food. All week, I've been thinking of what I'm thankful for. As with the comic version of me*, my list would spill onto the floor. Hopefully, having this comic in the archives* will remind me (and anyone else who stumbles upon it) that anytime is a good time for taking stock of those things we are thankful for.

Friday November 28 2008

File under: comic

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on Fri 28th Nov, 2008 11:18 am PST Joe said: hehe ************************ on Fri 28th Nov, 2008 04:49 pm PST Sweet Julie said: Why does it work out that when you are drawing comics right handed, your 'likeness' is left handed, yet when you are mousebedextriously left handed, your 'likenes's is right handed? ************************

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Panoramic Overkill

Over the past week, as I've been thinking* about what I am thankful for, I came up with a great number of things. If I was to list them all, it would take from now until next Tuesday. Instead, I thought I would just call out one thing that I am thankful for, which happens to have a fitting picture to go with it. I'm thankful for this place which I get to call home. So taken am I with its beauty, I went a little overboard with the camera yesterday. Here was my view morning, noon, afternoon, and sunset. The beauty of Anacortes, Washington: just one of the many things I am thankful for.

Thursday November 27 2008

File under: holidays

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on Thu 27th Nov, 2008 11:23 am PST Andrew said: Pfft. I've got Troothpicks that are more beautiful than that... ************************ on Fri 28th Nov, 2008 11:16 am PST Joe said: werd. great shots wren. ************************ on Fri 28th Nov, 2008 04:46 pm PST Sweet Julie said: Aww, Wren! Those are breath-taking shots! I can almost feel the chill in the air and feel the stillness. ************************

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Weekend Wall Building

At one point in my life, I was a stone mason's assistant/landscaper guy*. The job mainly entailed carrying heavy rocks and shoveling gravel. As I worked my way up the not-at-all-corporate ladder, however, I got to get in on the actual building part. And while I never did a wall all by myself, I was involved in all the different parts of wall building, at least enough to get the general idea of things. Fast forward 5 years. I got a chance to put those skills to use. My brother is now a homeowner, and as such, he is on a home improvement kick, as with most new homeowners. A layer of paint here, a new floor there, new gardens here, there, and everywhere. When he started talking about putting in a rock retaining wall/terrace, I couldn't help but give my two cents. To make a long story short, 2 cents became 2 tons over 2 days. This weekend, I went down and acted as director for the wall you see before you. Jule and Katy did the majority of the actual building (as my wrist has recently put in for its 2 weeks vacation for the year and refused to work). I stood by and imparted sage wisdom. The results, IMHO, are spectacular. With the materials we had in the time we had, we created something pretty freaking nice. It felt good to be back out working with the rawest* of building materials, creating something from nothing. And with the way the wall turned out, I now have an even greater appreciation for those skills that I learned so many years ago, with a yoke on my shoulders, an ache in my back, but almost always a smile on my face.

Monday November 24 2008

File under: work, misc

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on Mon 24th Nov, 2008 02:01 pm PST Joe said: nice job wren it looks good. i'm sure it felt good to get back to your computer after all that tho. ;-) don't lie! ************************ on Mon 24th Nov, 2008 04:02 pm PST dave said: wren, that wall is awesome! nice work. it's so cool to have useful, shareable skills. ************************ on Mon 24th Nov, 2008 05:35 pm PST jule said: make that 8 1/2 tons. Thanks wren! That is a great wall ************************ on Mon 24th Nov, 2008 09:36 pm PST Wren said: I meant only that I probably moved 2 tons. Jule and Katy each moved a fair piece more than that. I didn't mean to diminish nothing. ************************ on Tue 25th Nov, 2008 07:10 pm PST Nesbitt said: "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," but I don't know what, walls rock. ************************ on Tue 25th Nov, 2008 07:49 pm PST Wren said: I didn't get it either. Now I do. (Oh, those academic types...) ************************

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FC 52 - Facepalm

I had a different comic all lined up for this week. It was another multi-panel one, but not so much story based. In fact, it is one that I have been thinking about for a while and the idea held significant meaning for me recently. With the way it turned out, however, it is unlikely that anyone else would get as much enjoyment out of it. And since last week's comic got more comments* than any other one of late, I figured I'd go ahead and continue that saga. While I will go ahead and say it for legal reasons, we pretty much all know it isn't true: resemblence of any persons in this, or any other Friday, comic is strictly coincidence. As the story evolves, however, that might become more true. Plus it is good to have out there in case wrath is incurred.

Thursday November 20 2008

File under: comic

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on Thu 20th Nov, 2008 11:33 pm PST Horge said: Me likey! ************************ on Fri 21st Nov, 2008 08:33 am PST Mom said: Is that me? That can't be me, she has no neck, and moreover, she has no chins. ************************ on Sun 23rd Nov, 2008 06:45 am PST Hope said: Drop a line about your visit - and ask your mom if she is coming in Feb. S&H ************************

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