Yay for Parenthood

I'm proud to be a Dad. I have to repeat this phrase to myself as I wipe dirty butts, puncture the soles of both of my feet on rubber dinosaurs, and fetch water in yet another attempt to quench the Mojave Desert that sprung up in my son's parched throat.

Bedtime seems to bring all sorts of previously unknown necessities to the surface. Seriously, who needs to go potty 3 times in an hour? Besides the flash-flooded Mojave Desert, of course. Thank goodness for diapers! Double-edged sword, that one.

The giggles and laughter wafting down the hallway tells me it may not have been a good idea to bunk the girls together. I just checked in on their passed-out bodies, and they are both sleeping ON THE FLOOR. I'm not surprised, in fact I'm elated if they are ever found in their beds at all.

Budgie Boy was sound asleep and thoroughly enjoying the return of The Blankie after a harrowing separation in the laundry room. That kid!

I find myself telling stories about my kids to people at work, and the ones who are parents knowingly nod and tell their own stories. I must sound like a dork to the heirless, but I don't really care.

Cafe Rio

One of the best places to eat in the Provo area. Brand X Burgers is also on my list, you MUST try their bacon cheeseburger!

Without further ado, enjoy this recipe!

Boys are Monsters

I enjoyed relaxing somewhat today. As I was sitting and watching the kids play, I noticed something: Miles sure is an annoying little turd! I have the feeling that he is the epitome of the Little Brother stereotype. He ran around growling and pushing and grabbing his sisters. They still haven't figured out how to defend themselves. Abbie stiffened up and tried to keep her face out of reach. Anna tried to run away. Miles was sent to Time Out many times. We are waiting for him to get beat up by a kid who knows how to stand up to him, because he sure doesn't care what we say!

He sure is lucky he's so darn cute.

Facebook

Well, I joined Facebook. Mostly, it was because a few of my high school buddies were on it. Then, I discovered some of my relatives and family were also on Facebook. Now, I guess I'm a Facebook junkie. I don't really know what to do on it. Add me if you dare!

Fat Turkey!

Leaves change color in the Fall. Who knew? My kids certainly didn't. As we drove northward towards Pennsylvania last week, my daughter exclaimed in wonderment: "I see a Red Tree!!". Anna chimed in, "I see a Yellow Tree!". Then came Miles: "UehAh! Tree!"

As soon as we entered North Carolina, I knew I was going to freeze to death. I mean, I brought a Zipper Hoodie and a fleece jacket for warmth, but I didn't realize that my body had acclimatized to Florida and I now required a fur-lined parka to maintain my expected body temperature. Fortunately, Pennsylvania was warmer part of the time we were there.

The kids love going to Grandma and Grandpa Solter's place. I don't blame them. There are sticks aplenty, a large yard to tromp through, chickens to feed and collect eggs from, dogs to play with and cry when they jump on you, and a cat or two to torment and wonder why they scratch at you. We had a great time.

It has been a long time since I've used power tools. Al (Alissa's dad) helped me make a frame for a 10" x 20" picture. I used pine, since the only frame I made was to be the "experimental prototype", and I had selected a few pieces of maple, black walnut, and oak to make the nicer frames out of once I had the process down. It was a very simple process, but I enjoy precision and so it took me awhile. Al actually helped me do the last of the sanding of the corner support pieces (called "keys"). The thin oak pieces really were stubborn, and I got sick of sanding them by hand and was going to let them just stick out a little bit. I'll post a pic later. Working in Al's shop made me realize how expensive all the woodworking equipment I want will cost...

Also, who would expect to find a nice Japanese restaurant in York, Pennsylvania? If you're ever in the area, visit Mitsuru Japanese Sushi and Grill. They are very reminiscent of a small Japanese place you'd be able to find in Los Angeles. I can't speak for New York, but I imagine it's pretty close. I had the cooked eel sushi with sakura chicken and steamed crab dumplings, with fried calamari and rice. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish all of the delicious meal. Ruth reported today that the leftovers were excellent. Alissa had grilled chicken yaki soba. The best thing about the place was how I felt I was back in Los Angeles with the quality of restaurants....

You Thought You Knew Me

Inspired by Audrey's recent confessions (who knew she was such a horrible driver?), here are some things you may not know about me.

1) The worst car accident I have ever been responsible for (there are only a few incidents, mind you) did not involve another car, but rather a really grouchy parking garage pillar. It turns out that they are rather sturdy, and can sneak up on you when you aren't looking. Make sure you check your blind spots!

2) I have a bifid uvula. It's not as gross as it sounds. In fact, I believe it gives me special powers. Alissa just thinks I'm a freak. I don't think she can talk, because HER uvula looks like a turtle tail.

3) When I was in high school, I played Magic: The Gathering. I still do. You do the math. Believe it or not, there ARE normal people who play the game. At least I don't play WoW... I had better stop there unless I want ugly retorts on my blog comments.

4) I'm a Superstar. Deep inside, I know I could win American Idol or Last Comic Standing. I'm like a diamond in the rough, and Miles can be my Abu. Now I just need to find a coach.

This has taken way too long to write. Also, I didn't want to say too much, for fear of causing too much disgust from my loyal readership. I encourage you to post something most people don't know about you in the comments section!

Sketchbook Update and More

I've updated my sketchbook. Since I'm way too lazy to post it all here AND on my conceptart.org thread, you'll have to go there to view it. Plus, I'm not sure how some of you would react to full frontal nudity. I know, try to contain yourselves....

So, this one is just a simple rock shape that I painted for my brush tip shape. See the previous tutorial below for how to save out a new brush shape.

Next, I set my settings as shown below. Sometimes while I'm using the brush, I may want a slightly different effect, like more spacing or scattering. These adjustments are easy to make once you understand what each setting does.




This speed painting I did a little while ago was done it about 20 minutes with my Rock brush and a flat version of the brush shown in my previous tutorial.