The last few weeks
Ok, so basically the story with my computer is this. I got hit by SOMETHING,(I forget what) and had to put XP on a blank drive to fix the old drive, then just shortly thereafter I got nailed by 8 spyware programs and almost a dozen trojan viruses. By this time I'd gotten the blank drive mostly running, except the modem, which I finally had to give up on. I couldn;t get it working so I bought an ethernet card, then that wouldn't work I brought it back in 2 weeks later and Best Buy's Geek Squad was able to get the ethernet connection on the motherboard working so they took back the ethernet card and charged me the difference for services rendered. I got it home, the net loaded up just fine. I updated norton anti-virus 2002, d/led ad-aware and updated it and then eventually stuck the old drive in as a slave and scanned it. That's how I was able to fix it. My files are intact so I can continue my art stuffs. I've been pretty much working on getting the computer back up and running. It's so annoying starting a comp more or less from scratch, even with my old files it still feels newbie-ish. *shudders* Yucky feeling.
So yes, it's been very annoying.
I did get to meet a friend of mom's when I visited a few weeks ago. She's incredibly knowledgable on computers and I learned some stuff, unfortunately I didn't retain much of it. ^_^; But I sent myself copies of some of the links we looked up. She was also able to fix Mom's phone line to her modem so she's got internet access back.
But enough on the comp. This does mean that I can work on larger art projects and such now though. Which I'm a little nervous about doing. It's been a few months so I'm probably a bit out of practice. ^_^;
Molly and Mike have gotten back together. Which is very good for Calysta imo. And they've stopped going out. So no drinkie = no fighting, (hopefully). Things seem to have gotten better so far. :)
Molly was going to leave Kmart and move to Appleton again, this time with Mike and Calysta, but the place she got hired there looks like they might get their daycare license revoked so she was able to get her job back at Kmart AND a pretty good raise. After 7ish years she deserves it imo.
We've finally started renovations on the downstairs bathroom. It should've been done by like, LAST Wednesday, but instead he might only start laying down the tile by Friday! MAYBE tomorrow, but more likely Friday. There've been day's the guy we've got doing this said he'd be here but never showed up. Sometimes didn't call and sometimes he did.
I want the bathroom back dangit! So does Dad, it's not easy for him to go up and down the stairs to the upstairs bathroom. His legs aren't so good. :\
Our TV has been in the shop for 3 weeks now. :( It was supposed to be about 2 weeks. Apparently some module was on the fritz and the picture was getting all wavy. It's only a couple years old, yet another reason for me not to like projection TVs. :P
So because the module replacement is on backorder it will be another month, at least tenatively December 15th! Before we get it back! D:
Luckily Molly and Mike had a decent-sized one they weren't using so they offerred to let us borrow it. It's a good ol' reliable Tube TV. :D Still miss our's though.
I found out when I start that work study. It was going to be in mid-FEBRUARY. Insane, so I talked with my contact and soe rescheduling went on so I start on December 19th instead. Which means I won't have to dip into savings to do Christmas shopping this year! :D I'm nervous about it now, but I think it's because I've been waiting on and thinking about this for so long.
And now that the crap is out of the way, some good news.
Saw a neat anime titled Saiyuki Reload on the movie channels. It's a take on the story of the Journey to the West. A Sanzo priest brings some sacred scriptures to India to quell some negative imbalance. Along the way he meets some demons, including Son Goku, who you may all recognize as being the name of Goku from Dragon Ball, Z & GT. Yep that's where those Monkey chars seem to get their roots from, from The Journey to the West. It's amped up a bit. The 4 protaginists are cig-smoking, gun-toting, foul-mouthed hellraisers. Well, only the priest has the gun. He likes to hold it sideways. ;P There was this neat draconic char that could turn into, get this, a jeep. LOL Yes I mean a vehicle. A green military jeep complete with gas-can. XD I don't know what the heck that's about, but it's a cute char. XD
Anyway, I think it must've run out or something because it's not listed anymore.
There's a new .hack (dot hack) series on. .hack//roots. I caught an ep a few nights ago, not bad but the main char looks like a girl to me for some reason. It's a nice song for the opening theme, but nobody has the lyrics yet. :(
You can see the theme vid in excellent quality here.
http://www.toonamiarsenal.com/download/almost.php Top link.
I hate that it's in the old slot for .hack/dusk. 4:30am Saturday morning. :(
There is a little info about the series at http://www.blackwings.net in the .hack section. And they have lyrics to all the songs from the other .hack series if anyone's interested. Many of them are English or partly English.
Been drawing a bit, though I'm getting drained and it's basically been forced. So they aren't really good. Though I kinda like some of them. Some are web-comic idea-based. Others aren't. It'd be nice if I could get them online.
Anyhoo, if anyone wants to suggest something I could try drawing that'd be cool. Just please, no humans or anthro-animals(such as Looney Toons or Disney), I'm not very good at them.
And lastly, my teaser last time of something I found in a new shop that is just.... well freaking AWESOME!
This...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Toy-DISNEY-ELECTRIC-DRAWING-SET-Mickey-Mouse_W0QQitemZ190053305894QQihZ009QQcategoryZ1398QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It's an old Disney Light-table from the 50s! Mickey Mouse Club merchandise, with logo, and a book with oodles of transparencies!
I got mine for $5, though it's not quite as nice as the one in that auction it works well enough and has no real major flaws.
The bulb gets hot so I bought a flourescent bulb to try out in there. The only problem with it is really is that the lines are like, inked thickness, so when I draw something with a mechanical pencil the lines are wavy as I'm trying to follow the lines and can't see where my line is. So I'll have to use something thicker. Maybe a regular wood pencil, or maybe even some crayons would work. I'd consider markers, except I don't want them to bleed through the paper onto the transparent paper.
Still, having that piece of drawing history is really cool to me.
It actually reminded me of something, the other night Dad and I wastched a program called Game On, the unofficial history of Video Games.
2 hours long, from The first video game, created by a nuclear scientist, to the release of the latest consoles. It was pretty cool actually. But on the "history" subject, I learned that we have one of those old home electronic pong games HERE! Apparently Dad and Mom got it for Christmas one year from one of the relatives. I know Pong is boring, but man would it be cool to find that thing and try it! You know what I mean. :D
So that's about it.
I'm still kind of funked out so I can't promise that I'm "back" and going to be keepign up with everyone quite yet, but I will promise to try to check in. I'm just no good with daunting amounts of text or tasks when I'm in this kind of frame of mind. It's VERY annoying and believe me, not by choice. Hopefully it will pass sooner than later though.
See you guys later,
Brian
Edited some cuts into the post.
So yes, it's been very annoying.
I did get to meet a friend of mom's when I visited a few weeks ago. She's incredibly knowledgable on computers and I learned some stuff, unfortunately I didn't retain much of it. ^_^; But I sent myself copies of some of the links we looked up. She was also able to fix Mom's phone line to her modem so she's got internet access back.
But enough on the comp. This does mean that I can work on larger art projects and such now though. Which I'm a little nervous about doing. It's been a few months so I'm probably a bit out of practice. ^_^;
Molly and Mike have gotten back together. Which is very good for Calysta imo. And they've stopped going out. So no drinkie = no fighting, (hopefully). Things seem to have gotten better so far. :)
Molly was going to leave Kmart and move to Appleton again, this time with Mike and Calysta, but the place she got hired there looks like they might get their daycare license revoked so she was able to get her job back at Kmart AND a pretty good raise. After 7ish years she deserves it imo.
We've finally started renovations on the downstairs bathroom. It should've been done by like, LAST Wednesday, but instead he might only start laying down the tile by Friday! MAYBE tomorrow, but more likely Friday. There've been day's the guy we've got doing this said he'd be here but never showed up. Sometimes didn't call and sometimes he did.
I want the bathroom back dangit! So does Dad, it's not easy for him to go up and down the stairs to the upstairs bathroom. His legs aren't so good. :\
Our TV has been in the shop for 3 weeks now. :( It was supposed to be about 2 weeks. Apparently some module was on the fritz and the picture was getting all wavy. It's only a couple years old, yet another reason for me not to like projection TVs. :P
So because the module replacement is on backorder it will be another month, at least tenatively December 15th! Before we get it back! D:
Luckily Molly and Mike had a decent-sized one they weren't using so they offerred to let us borrow it. It's a good ol' reliable Tube TV. :D Still miss our's though.
I found out when I start that work study. It was going to be in mid-FEBRUARY. Insane, so I talked with my contact and soe rescheduling went on so I start on December 19th instead. Which means I won't have to dip into savings to do Christmas shopping this year! :D I'm nervous about it now, but I think it's because I've been waiting on and thinking about this for so long.
And now that the crap is out of the way, some good news.
Saw a neat anime titled Saiyuki Reload on the movie channels. It's a take on the story of the Journey to the West. A Sanzo priest brings some sacred scriptures to India to quell some negative imbalance. Along the way he meets some demons, including Son Goku, who you may all recognize as being the name of Goku from Dragon Ball, Z & GT. Yep that's where those Monkey chars seem to get their roots from, from The Journey to the West. It's amped up a bit. The 4 protaginists are cig-smoking, gun-toting, foul-mouthed hellraisers. Well, only the priest has the gun. He likes to hold it sideways. ;P There was this neat draconic char that could turn into, get this, a jeep. LOL Yes I mean a vehicle. A green military jeep complete with gas-can. XD I don't know what the heck that's about, but it's a cute char. XD
Anyway, I think it must've run out or something because it's not listed anymore.
There's a new .hack (dot hack) series on. .hack//roots. I caught an ep a few nights ago, not bad but the main char looks like a girl to me for some reason. It's a nice song for the opening theme, but nobody has the lyrics yet. :(
You can see the theme vid in excellent quality here.
http://www.toonamiarsenal.com/download/almost.php Top link.
I hate that it's in the old slot for .hack/dusk. 4:30am Saturday morning. :(
There is a little info about the series at http://www.blackwings.net in the .hack section. And they have lyrics to all the songs from the other .hack series if anyone's interested. Many of them are English or partly English.
Been drawing a bit, though I'm getting drained and it's basically been forced. So they aren't really good. Though I kinda like some of them. Some are web-comic idea-based. Others aren't. It'd be nice if I could get them online.
Anyhoo, if anyone wants to suggest something I could try drawing that'd be cool. Just please, no humans or anthro-animals(such as Looney Toons or Disney), I'm not very good at them.
And lastly, my teaser last time of something I found in a new shop that is just.... well freaking AWESOME!
This...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Toy-DISNEY-ELECTRIC-DRAWING-SET-Mickey-Mouse_W0QQitemZ190053305894QQihZ009QQcategoryZ1398QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It's an old Disney Light-table from the 50s! Mickey Mouse Club merchandise, with logo, and a book with oodles of transparencies!
I got mine for $5, though it's not quite as nice as the one in that auction it works well enough and has no real major flaws.
The bulb gets hot so I bought a flourescent bulb to try out in there. The only problem with it is really is that the lines are like, inked thickness, so when I draw something with a mechanical pencil the lines are wavy as I'm trying to follow the lines and can't see where my line is. So I'll have to use something thicker. Maybe a regular wood pencil, or maybe even some crayons would work. I'd consider markers, except I don't want them to bleed through the paper onto the transparent paper.
Still, having that piece of drawing history is really cool to me.
It actually reminded me of something, the other night Dad and I wastched a program called Game On, the unofficial history of Video Games.
2 hours long, from The first video game, created by a nuclear scientist, to the release of the latest consoles. It was pretty cool actually. But on the "history" subject, I learned that we have one of those old home electronic pong games HERE! Apparently Dad and Mom got it for Christmas one year from one of the relatives. I know Pong is boring, but man would it be cool to find that thing and try it! You know what I mean. :D
So that's about it.
I'm still kind of funked out so I can't promise that I'm "back" and going to be keepign up with everyone quite yet, but I will promise to try to check in. I'm just no good with daunting amounts of text or tasks when I'm in this kind of frame of mind. It's VERY annoying and believe me, not by choice. Hopefully it will pass sooner than later though.
See you guys later,
Brian
Edited some cuts into the post.