Busy day back!

Everyday Adventures

Holy cow on a snowboard! So, last night as I was attempting to fall asleep it occurred to me that I have 7 days to finish up my eHow articles for this month. Why does this always feel like it sneaks up on me? After momentary panic I reminded myself that not only do I have all three remaining articles titled and planned out, I have the weekend to wrap things up as needed so really there’s no cause for worry.

Of course, when I then add in the two comics that needed doing for this week and the three for next week, plus the banner revamp the site conversion to the new theme, various housework and, oh yes, Script Frenzy which ends in 9 days and which I totally intend to win, well, okay– things start to get a little hinkey. What do I do? I make a list. Because, really, what better motivation is there than being able to cross things off said list with a tremendous flourish? None, that’s what.

Tonight, after dinner, I managed to detail tomorrow’s comic, sketch most of Thursday’s while palmie came over and chatted for a bit, clean the kitchen and take out the trash after she left, do an entire series of in-progress pictures for one of the eHow articles (the most labor intensive, I assure you), chat with Spec about his impending moving schedule and spend some time on the stationery bike (though that was earlier in time than it appears on the list). Now I am determined to finish the sketch for Thursday before turning in. I won’t let myself cross it off early! One more panel to figure out the angle for the backgrounds and I’ll be good.

Tomorrow is looking just as hectic.

Feels Like Home

Everyday Adventures

Probably because it us. Had a great weekend visiting Drew in Orlando. Spent a pretty penny at IKEA for some organization stuff, kitchen supplies, and some more linens and such. Lots of fun and we apparently lucked out crowd-wise which was good on several levels. Saturday night we wandered through Downtown Disney, which Mom had never been to in it’s current incarnation (the last time she was at Disney there was a small shopping area known as Lake Buena Vista that we _think_ is what is now The Marketplace) before getting a late supper at Outback.

You’d think that living and working in Orlando would be hell as far as traffic and such goes. For some, maybe, but Drew managed to find an apartment that is right next to a major shopping center with just about anything you’d need on a regular basis (and then some) and is within 3 miles of work to the point that he doesn’t have to get on any toll roads or the Interstate for his usual business. Go him!

Since Mom wanted to drive, I got to spend the trip down there and back blocking the pages and panels for the Script Frenzy project. Now just to transfer them from the scrawled notes into Celtx and I should be able to reach goal with no problem. But first, time to finish the comics for next week and work on the next eHow article. Back to the merry-go-round!

45 pages

Everyday Adventures

Last night I managed to format all of the pages I had pre-blocked (up to 52 physical pages of the graphic novel) so it’s good that I planned to block in the car while Mom drives us to Orlando.

And, wow, tonight was just a whirl. A very good question was posed over at the A&E forum of eHow and it sparked an instant article. As soon as it gets approved (tomorrow if I’m lucky) I can post it as a reply instead of just a well you could do this, this and this. But it was just something I hadn’t thought to do an article on and there didn’t seem to be one already written on the site, so it was providence, indeed. That’s four of my 7 for the month 🙂

Also put my new tag on the car, today. Sweet! I wasn’t really “sold” on the State of the Arts plate but it really does look nice when it’s actually on the car, goes well with the blue. Then there was the SCA meeting, amusing as always, come home and pack my overnight bag, start the dishwasher, and worked on next week’s comics. Whew! Busy night!

iSlack

Everyday Adventures

I got my article done after dinner last night and then pretty much ignored the computer. I needed a break. Spectrum was in town for the evening (a bit of back and forth now because of the move) so we chilled on the couch watching TV. Now, tonight, what I thought would be an hour of detail inking on tomorrow’s comic ended up being a bit more than 2 hours before I could scan and upload it.

I really like the fact that I’m adding detailed backgrounds and I totally love my double-line style (things look so wrong without it, now, and will glare at me if I miss a section) but wow is it taking more time! But, you know, that’s just the way it goes, I guess. I don’t think I’d be happy if I went back to not using it, but I’ve got to get faster at it or something. As it stands now I still have no buffer built up for May’s increase. Oh well, I will prevail.

Now I have a dilemma: do I work on the script (which has gone untouched since this weekend), start another strip (get a smidge ahead on next week), start my next eHow article (I already have some of the beads and materials out from the last one) or read one of the books that came in? Decisions, decisions. I think the script is winning only because it’s had the least amount of time-spent this week. And I can start one of the books before I go to bed. Deal.

And I have a new wish-list item: a print gocco machine. I love the idea of being able to do little screen prints for cards and things and I really want to revamp some of the greeting cards I designed a few years back. One line I might actually be able to consign to a local shop that carries similar merchandise and that would be very, very cool, indeed. Plus, you know, it’s a new toy and I’m all about that.

But seriously, it is a business-related purchase. Which reminds me, I really should set up an Etsy store for those etched necklaces and stuff like that (Palmie reminded me of that a couple weeks ago and I really don’t know why I didn’t think of it before for those) and this that could a) help clear out my craft room as I use up materials and b) get some more income coming in. Right now I think it’d be cool to be able to go down to 4 days at work, even if it meant two half-days instead of one full day off per. It’s a thought, anyway.

Like a Hole in the Head

Everyday Adventures

Work, laundry, fighting with the credit card company over last month’s fraud issue (yeah, I had one of my cards hijacked and used for a single $1450 purchase in Redding, PA at a Lowe’s and they refunded that but none of the fees is caused or the extra finance charges and some dumb bitch tries to tell ME that current month activity isn’t included in computing finance charges but there is no other mathematical way to go from a starting balance of 2K and end up with an average daily balance of over 3K WITHOUT including the fraudulent charge in the computation and then had the NERVE to disconnect me rather than transfer me. Luckily the next lady I talked to had a brain and recognized that I did as well and cleared it up but DAMN people, get a freaking clue why don’t you), finished an article, drafted another article, inked 1 1/2 comics and when I go to scan and upload tomorrow’s (today’s) strip I find an email from a friend saying that the site is trying to give him a virus. The FUCK?!?!

Okay, now, to be fair and honest: I really do appreciate knowing that my site is apparently trying to fuck with people with a low-level trajan downloader. The thing is, I DON’T OWN THE SERVER IT’S ON. So, it occurs to me to update the WordPress install, thinking maybe there’s a security fix in the latest update and hope it doesn’t break the site (chances of that are what?) and then, well, I guess I can put a service request in with Dreamhost but here’s the thing: I can’t duplicate the issue. Even if I GO to the site on BOTH my home computers–one’s a Mac, no issue there, of course, and that’s the one I use to update the comic–the other runs Vista which isn’t affected by this supposed virus. Unless I drive to work now (ain’t happening cause I don’t go to that neighborhood after dark) I can’t verify the issue. So, no offense to the kind helpful friend that I know was just trying to be a good friend, I can’t be sure that it’s my site that’s really doing anything, the server, the program, what.

Anyway, after the meltdown the Chase lady caused I’m still of shaky ground, I’m behind on my deadlines, the apartment’s a wreck and I just don’t freaking know how to fix it all!!! Hence, meltdown #2 in a 6-hour period. Not your fault, friend, I know, but timing just really sucks sometimes.