Summing up 2011
Warning: this post is HUGE and contains a large selection of images and therefore is being put behind a cut.
Be advised that while the majority of events are in order, some are not.
On with the summarizing! Or something... 2011, for me, was a year of many ups and many downs. There were some great highs and abysmal lows. Life, death, breaking, putting-back-together, conventions, chaos, and so much more.
It started out with beautiful sunsets...
Which did nothing to prepare us for the watermain rupturing...
But I pushed that frustration aside with a necessary purchase...
And then Ren Faire was upon us...
Red skies at night...
Audio delight...
We attended the first Wild Wild West Con (and I met one of my fav authors)...
And whilst at WWWC, we attended the Eternal Source Of Steam concert (ESOS) featuring The Unextraordinary Gentlemen, Verique Chevalier, and Abney Park...
Which was followed by St Patrick's Day and the 17th Annual Green Tour concert...
We folded cranes and said our prayers for Japan...
And attended the Great Big Sea concert...
I took my mother to see one of her favourite bands as a combination birthday and Mother's Day present...
And then the geeks came out of the woodwork for PHXCC and the awesome therein...
Out of the whirlwind, summer was suddenly upon us...
There was a nasty dust storm...
We got to see Christopher Titus...
I caught some local wildlife on camera...
The summer weather continued to be epic...
And when fall arrived, we went on a roadtrip...
My mom and nephew visited twice...
The local taggers weighed in on the Occupy movements and the UC Davis mess...
I had an overnight stay in the hospital because of another blood clot...
Which was followed up not even two weeks later with another hospital stay for what turned out to be Bell's Palsy...
But life continued on, regardless...
And before we knew it, xmas was upon us...
And then the year changed over...
In the words of Frank Conniff "For several days after they predicted the world would end in 2012, the Mayans were still writing 2011,"
Pretty sure he's right. 2011 was so tumultuous and explosive and painful for a lot of people all over the world. Haiti and Japan and New Zealand, all hit with quakes that caused more damage than Godzilla. The streets of Tokyo being all but empty after the big March quake and tsunami are some of the most memorable and worrying images I recall, because those streets being empty just doesn't happen very often. (This is also something that the Japanese put in their horror films; it bothers them too, apparently) The high-tension political atmosphere that still has everyone on edge.
Like this moment here, in which I found myself cheering on a little boy for his courage:
And the response video to Rick Perry's vile ad:
Along with the absurdity of things being brought to light in a way that is slightly off to the side of truth:
I was commissioned in 2011 as well for some art. For the first time that I can recall, someone paid me to create a work of art, and everyone involved LIKED IT! I am still floored by this fact. I also did some art for some authors, and they liked what I did as well! On top of all that, one of my pieces was featured in the Scientific American online blog, in their Science Art section. It was these little highs that helped me through some of the worst moments of the year.
Commission: Veridian Vision by ~tygenco on deviantART
Commission: Oryo by ~tygenco on deviantART
The Morrigan by ~tygenco on deviantART
For Jay by ~tygenco on deviantART
Yoga Bones 2002 by ~tygenco on deviantART
2011 marked a year of changes for me. I had a serious breakdown and got started on meds that have helped stabilize things. My hand and wrist issues were addressed and I was started on meds for that as well--which have proven to be immensely effective and helpful. Another blood clot, Bell's Palsy, nasty head cold, allergic reactions (turns out I'm allergic to rats) and a nasty bout of what my friend calls 'the double headed stomach bug'.
Now that the year has turned over, I'm in the process of clearing things out and packing things away. I think having the stomach bug is what put me over the edge for it. I didn't make any resolutions for this year. All I'm doing is going from day to day and appreciating the fact that I'm still alive.
Be advised that while the majority of events are in order, some are not.
On with the summarizing! Or something... 2011, for me, was a year of many ups and many downs. There were some great highs and abysmal lows. Life, death, breaking, putting-back-together, conventions, chaos, and so much more.
It started out with beautiful sunsets...
Which did nothing to prepare us for the watermain rupturing...
But I pushed that frustration aside with a necessary purchase...
And then Ren Faire was upon us...
Red skies at night...
Audio delight...
We attended the first Wild Wild West Con (and I met one of my fav authors)...
And whilst at WWWC, we attended the Eternal Source Of Steam concert (ESOS) featuring The Unextraordinary Gentlemen, Verique Chevalier, and Abney Park...
Which was followed by St Patrick's Day and the 17th Annual Green Tour concert...
We folded cranes and said our prayers for Japan...
And attended the Great Big Sea concert...
I took my mother to see one of her favourite bands as a combination birthday and Mother's Day present...
And then the geeks came out of the woodwork for PHXCC and the awesome therein...
Out of the whirlwind, summer was suddenly upon us...
There was a nasty dust storm...
We got to see Christopher Titus...
I caught some local wildlife on camera...
The summer weather continued to be epic...
And when fall arrived, we went on a roadtrip...
My mom and nephew visited twice...
The local taggers weighed in on the Occupy movements and the UC Davis mess...
I had an overnight stay in the hospital because of another blood clot...
Which was followed up not even two weeks later with another hospital stay for what turned out to be Bell's Palsy...
But life continued on, regardless...
And before we knew it, xmas was upon us...
And then the year changed over...
In the words of Frank Conniff "For several days after they predicted the world would end in 2012, the Mayans were still writing 2011,"
Pretty sure he's right. 2011 was so tumultuous and explosive and painful for a lot of people all over the world. Haiti and Japan and New Zealand, all hit with quakes that caused more damage than Godzilla. The streets of Tokyo being all but empty after the big March quake and tsunami are some of the most memorable and worrying images I recall, because those streets being empty just doesn't happen very often. (This is also something that the Japanese put in their horror films; it bothers them too, apparently) The high-tension political atmosphere that still has everyone on edge.
Like this moment here, in which I found myself cheering on a little boy for his courage:
Click to viewAnd the response video to Rick Perry's vile ad:
Along with the absurdity of things being brought to light in a way that is slightly off to the side of truth:
I was commissioned in 2011 as well for some art. For the first time that I can recall, someone paid me to create a work of art, and everyone involved LIKED IT! I am still floored by this fact. I also did some art for some authors, and they liked what I did as well! On top of all that, one of my pieces was featured in the Scientific American online blog, in their Science Art section. It was these little highs that helped me through some of the worst moments of the year.
Commission: Veridian Vision by ~tygenco on deviantART
Commission: Oryo by ~tygenco on deviantART
The Morrigan by ~tygenco on deviantART
For Jay by ~tygenco on deviantART
Yoga Bones 2002 by ~tygenco on deviantART
2011 marked a year of changes for me. I had a serious breakdown and got started on meds that have helped stabilize things. My hand and wrist issues were addressed and I was started on meds for that as well--which have proven to be immensely effective and helpful. Another blood clot, Bell's Palsy, nasty head cold, allergic reactions (turns out I'm allergic to rats) and a nasty bout of what my friend calls 'the double headed stomach bug'.
Now that the year has turned over, I'm in the process of clearing things out and packing things away. I think having the stomach bug is what put me over the edge for it. I didn't make any resolutions for this year. All I'm doing is going from day to day and appreciating the fact that I'm still alive.