(no subject)
Hi, LJ Land! This is how Kirsten procrastinates: by giving attention to her neglected journal. :P
What am I procrastinating on? Well, I found out that UW actually has a 1-year Natural Science Illustration certificate program that I really want to apply for... so now I'm working on my portfolio. It's been neglected for awhile, so it needs serious love. Working on animal drawings... and trying to come up with a professional-looking website. I should probably get around to learning CSS now. Welcome to five years ago? I did finish this sea otter piece on DA. I have a clouded leopard piece, an alligator piece, and a Florida scrub jay piece going on now. Mmmm, art ADD!
Also, Twitter, The Nerd Machine, and Firefly DVDs facilitate distraction.
Running hit a bit of a slowdown, although not unexpected. My old shoes were finally kicking the bucket, so I broke down and got new ones - Saucony Progrid Guide 3. The hitch is, of course, that they still need to be broken in. :P Had a bit of a sore foot, so the long runs got cut short. And as soon as it felt better, we got 7" of snow, and so I was too lazy to couldn't go out and run in it. :P Trying to get back on track, though!
Finally got around to writing a Chuck fanfic, as you saw. I was having a "lay in bed until noon" morning, and that all ran through my head while I put off getting up. :p The show's been really up and down lately... I like the general direction they're going, but some episodes are really hit-or-miss. I just hope the show can squeeze out a fifth season. I think that is this show's eternal fate: to spend each season clinging to shreds of hope that it will get another. Also, I have decided that, until Zachary Levi sings on the show, it can't end. :P
Oooh, but I did score San Diego ComicCon tickets! I fought the epic battle with TicketLeap, and came out victorious! I have a 4-day pass, and now it's just a matter of saving up the money to get there and have fun! Definitely gonna get a Disneyland day in while I'm there, too - I still have a couple of comp tickets left, and I haven't seen World of Color yet. And the new Star Tours, Mickey's Soundsational Parade, and the Little Mermaid ride will be open by then. Epic win!
And reading! Haven't read as much lately, mainly 'cause I've been sketching on my lunch breaks. But I definitely have a giant stack of backlogged books to read.
2/03/11
Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives - Thomas French
Quite possibly the most realistic, even-handed look at the zoo world I've ever seen. The author looks at all aspects of the industry: the conservation, the animal rights, the politics. It weighs both sides of the story, but doesn't judge. It looks at the impacts of the zoo on the people directly involved: how do the keepers feel about all of this? What does it feel like to be the "grunts" of the zoo, to balance one's own opinions versus the needs of the industry and the facility, and how do the animals' lives affect them? How does one balance conservation, education, and entertainment? This does put a lot of focus on the trials of the Lowry Park Zoo and its CEO, but I think the thoughts and feelings are common to zoo professionals around the world. If you've ever wondered what life is REALLY like working in a zoo, check this book out!
1/16/11
Ape House - Sara Gruen
An interesting concept, and a nice setup to the story... with an ending that felt rushed and disappointing. It felt like it just ended too suddenly, and went out with a whimper.
Also, why did I not learn of the awesomeness of the Dinosaur score before? This music is the perfect mood-setting for wildlife drawing. Way to fail at Disney music, Kirsten.
What am I procrastinating on? Well, I found out that UW actually has a 1-year Natural Science Illustration certificate program that I really want to apply for... so now I'm working on my portfolio. It's been neglected for awhile, so it needs serious love. Working on animal drawings... and trying to come up with a professional-looking website. I should probably get around to learning CSS now. Welcome to five years ago? I did finish this sea otter piece on DA. I have a clouded leopard piece, an alligator piece, and a Florida scrub jay piece going on now. Mmmm, art ADD!
Also, Twitter, The Nerd Machine, and Firefly DVDs facilitate distraction.
Running hit a bit of a slowdown, although not unexpected. My old shoes were finally kicking the bucket, so I broke down and got new ones - Saucony Progrid Guide 3. The hitch is, of course, that they still need to be broken in. :P Had a bit of a sore foot, so the long runs got cut short. And as soon as it felt better, we got 7" of snow, and so I was too lazy to couldn't go out and run in it. :P Trying to get back on track, though!
Finally got around to writing a Chuck fanfic, as you saw. I was having a "lay in bed until noon" morning, and that all ran through my head while I put off getting up. :p The show's been really up and down lately... I like the general direction they're going, but some episodes are really hit-or-miss. I just hope the show can squeeze out a fifth season. I think that is this show's eternal fate: to spend each season clinging to shreds of hope that it will get another. Also, I have decided that, until Zachary Levi sings on the show, it can't end. :P
Oooh, but I did score San Diego ComicCon tickets! I fought the epic battle with TicketLeap, and came out victorious! I have a 4-day pass, and now it's just a matter of saving up the money to get there and have fun! Definitely gonna get a Disneyland day in while I'm there, too - I still have a couple of comp tickets left, and I haven't seen World of Color yet. And the new Star Tours, Mickey's Soundsational Parade, and the Little Mermaid ride will be open by then. Epic win!
And reading! Haven't read as much lately, mainly 'cause I've been sketching on my lunch breaks. But I definitely have a giant stack of backlogged books to read.
2/03/11
Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives - Thomas French
Quite possibly the most realistic, even-handed look at the zoo world I've ever seen. The author looks at all aspects of the industry: the conservation, the animal rights, the politics. It weighs both sides of the story, but doesn't judge. It looks at the impacts of the zoo on the people directly involved: how do the keepers feel about all of this? What does it feel like to be the "grunts" of the zoo, to balance one's own opinions versus the needs of the industry and the facility, and how do the animals' lives affect them? How does one balance conservation, education, and entertainment? This does put a lot of focus on the trials of the Lowry Park Zoo and its CEO, but I think the thoughts and feelings are common to zoo professionals around the world. If you've ever wondered what life is REALLY like working in a zoo, check this book out!
1/16/11
Ape House - Sara Gruen
An interesting concept, and a nice setup to the story... with an ending that felt rushed and disappointing. It felt like it just ended too suddenly, and went out with a whimper.
Also, why did I not learn of the awesomeness of the Dinosaur score before? This music is the perfect mood-setting for wildlife drawing. Way to fail at Disney music, Kirsten.