Dinner with Characters

   I rounded out Saturday by joining Joni and Alan, Wager, Kip, and Asher, and Kaye and Kristi at Joni's house (with Aki and Taylor, of course) for dinner. The group of us always has great fun sharing stories and making some new ones. This time, while we were eating dinner in their gorgeous dining room, overlooking a thick woods, Joni got up and turned off the lights. One of her deer friends (pun intended) whom she called Elfie appeared with one of her twin fawns, and we watched them munch on corn just outside the fence. Suddenly Elfie and the fawn spun around to see the magnificent Spinner appear. He commanded their attention and they backed off, allowing him to eat—though quietly sneaking in behind him now and then, to continue their meal.

As you can see, this is Joni's photo of Spinner; it was too dark for me to get one on my little iPhone camera. Isn't he gorgeous? It was fun to watch him eat, and turn his great head to warn the doe and baby that this food was HIS.

   It was fascinating, but also a challenge to keep Aki from woofing to scare them off. After an initial bark, Taylor settled in at the window and froze like a fat, furry little statue and stared right at them. I couldn't allow Aki to see the deer; she was beside herself with the urge to go flying through the second-story window to bag her quarry. Sheesh.

   After dinner, we headed out to the woods and Alan built a campfire, which was quite welcome since it was only in the 50s—more than a 30-degree drop from the day before. Alan made popcorn with olive oil in a cast-iron pot, and we passed the bowl around. Then we found long, slender sticks and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. I hadn't eaten them in years, and they tasted great. The dogs enjoyed themselves as much as I did. They always feel right at home with Joni.

   How lucky I am to have such fabulous friends—animal and otherwise!

Japan Fest Recap

   Today's Japan Festival, organized by The Heart of America Japan-America Society, was fun as always. I hobnobbed with Samurai,

   enjoyed samurai and geisha by Roger Shimomura

   gave a little talk about Japanese character design (my fifth presentation of this ever-evolving labor of love),

With groupies Joe Andriani and his friend Ian

   got confused by the preponderance of Logwoods in minature and in actual size,

   and then treated myself to exotic noms: Sama Zama's gyuudon (beef and onions over rice), pork gyoza (dumplings), and dango (a semi-sweet dessert of mochi—rice flour—pound into a gummy paste and flavored with things like green tea, then skewered and covered with toppings like azuki—red bean paste—and what I think was caramely-soy-sauce). I didn't intend to order everything in one color, but it was all very delicious.

   I also picked up a couple of souvenirs: a Fuji-San banner; I always regretted not buying one from the little stand up on top of the volcano when I summited in September 2007. Seriously, who'd think to bring CASH to the top of a VOLCANO?! They had the coolest 「富士山に上りました」(I climbed Mt. Fuji) pennants, and someday I WILL go up there to get one.

   And okay, I'm a sucker for fun characters, we all know that. I might have resisted the guy on the top of the package, if the package did not say, "Leader of the fun headband". But it does say that. And I am only human, after all.

   So perhaps it's lucky for me that the pig karate shirts only came in L and XL.

さようなら！

#inktober cats & dogs

   #inktober bad cats by me (eating my Japanese book list for the festival tomorrow), and Shibas by 12 year old Chloe Penrod, who visited her dad at Hallmark today.

   Tonight is her first gallery show opening (yes, at 12!). I couldn't go, because I rode the bus. :( So I commissioned and purchased my art by 9 am! ;)
   Not only is Chloe having her first gallery show, she invited an animal shelter to bring adoptable dogs, and she is donating her profits. Awesome kid!

#inktober @**stache

   These #inktober drawings are getting even more difficult to explain, and it's only day 3. Ask my coworkers--who are the inappropriate ones--NOT me!

Zzz on the Bussss

   Thursday afternoon, and everyone on the bus appears to be tired. I know I am... It has been a good week, but a long one. And I am glad to be sitting here in the cushy seats with my feet up, reading a magazine and lazily looking out the window, rather than intently driving in traffic. Took last month off from riding, since I was in Roatan while passes were being sold at Hallmark. It's good to be back!

#inktober inspired by Christy

   Drawn on the bus... Little shaky! Based on actual events according to Christy. #inktober

   Christy said that finding the perfect dress "is rarer than unicorn jerky."

   An exchange between Christy and Brett and I noted that if Christy were to make unicorn jerky, she'd add jalapeno or habanero (she's local-famous for her Blazin' Brownies), and it made me think of her saying, "Ahh, yes—Blazin' Unicorn Jerky is my spe-cial-ity." Like The Pink Panther in this scene. LOL!

Best. Alert. Ever.

Nephews

Looks like Kristin is enjoying messing with my nephew Sean on her way through LA...

She said, "don't ask him to smile while he's eating." LOL

Lil Aaron (getting some help from a feeding tube) somehow manages to get even cuter by the day. As their proud auntie, I may be slightly biased, but they are the two most beautiful boys in the whole world! Jealous that Kristin is there now & I'm not! :)

#inktober love

   Check out this link for an explanation of "Inktober", designed to encourage artists to draw every day this month for fun & to grow their skills: http://mrjakeparker.tumblr.com/post/62695493968/inktober-starts-next-week-thirty-one-days

   Drawing every day is not a problem--I already do that; and I almost always draw in ink--my high school art teacher (whose name is Art Counts, I kid you not) taught me that it forces you to think about and be confident when you lay down a mark. I've been doing that for so long that it just feels natural. Posting every day probably won't happen, but I shall do my best!

10/1: Hallmark announced an exciting partnership with Caring Bridge, whose mission is to connect people and "amplify love, hope, and compassion". I sketched these in the announcement meeting.  

   The first is inspired by the kind people and excited kiddos greeting my pups all day long at Hallmarket. There were some older boys, too, who LOVED that my pups would give high-fives & handshakes. They asked the dogs to demonstrate over & over again. I believe that positive interactions with pets inspires love and compassion, and a tenderness that makes people think how to better treat all beings.

   Similarly, I feel loved every day when Kismet climbs all over me and purrs loudly in my ears--amplified!

   On a completely different note, it was Cindy M's birthday, and she has two dachshunds...

   And then on a strange note, my coworkers/creative conspirators Steve and John interacting with bears and penguins. Too lengthy to explain!

Random Hallmark Moments: tarantula

DAAAH!!!! Tarantula!!!!

Like my new brooch? Actually, it's not quite what you think, but close: It is a real tarantula... shell. Matt K's Mexican redknee tarantula molted over the weekend. (Yes, he keeps a spider at work. Locked up, thankfully, because I sit only steps away.) The shell is completely intact, like a duplicate spider. Even the fangs' casings remain on the shell. And while I find it beautiful & fascinating, my reaction to the real spider on me would be an authentic scream (vs the staged one here)

Tia is a very big spider. Mexican redknee tarantula to be exact. The shell she shed is huge... Imagine how big the newly-molted Tia is now! That's good, old-fashioned nightmare material.

Welcome to the 21st Century

Now appearing on Shawnee Mission Parkway! Trader Joe's came a couple years ago, REI opened last Friday, Ikea will be here soon... KC is suddenly seeming sort of civilized!

Zzz after a really great day!
So... Hallmarket is a great cure for my insomnia. Taylor & I slept for TEN hours!!! I'm usually lucky to get 6 hours. Aki even let me sleep & only demanded breakfast after she knew I was awake. Kismet too, though once she knew I was stirring, she became very resourceful.

Here comes Sean!

This just in from Kristin, who is visiting LA on the way to New Zealand & Fiji (and didn't  invite me... bitch). My nephew, Sean, will be 2 years old in a few weeks. Super-cutie!!!