greatwallstudios

Holding on to useful, old things.

November 7, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

I’ve had the exact same beach towel since I was a little kid. I was given it on a trip to florida one year (though this part is kind of foggy), and I have held on to it for three plus decades or more. It went to junior high as a gym towel, and then high school and my OAC year in the same capacity. It still retains the rusted hook stain on one broad side from hanging in my lockers. The edges are fraying, and the colours aren’t quite what they used to be, but once it is no longer a viable beach towel, it can become a shop rag, and finish out it’s days wiping down oily hands, or buffing off finish from a piece of furniture. Not certain of why I’m so attached to it, other than it has been a part of my life for thirty odd years (roughly). After all the moves, and changes to direction of my life it has been there to add one small sense of continuity and stability. I’ll be sad to see it go when it finally gives up the Ghost. At this point the fabric weave owes me nothing. Thanks for hanging around Sail Boat Beach Towel (SBBT).

Last year my wife purchased the family all new giant beach towels, and somehow they have less absorbency power than a single damp napkin. Not sure how they managed to manufacture fabric that won’t soak up water, and yet still fails to help wipe it off your body. The mechanics of such a tool are beyond me. The colours are vivid, the fabric is soft, and yhe overall size of the towel is huge, so you’d think it would be a slam dunk. But you would be wrong. Damn wrong. So very, very wrong.

Today would be another installment of Domestic Duties Monday, but due to the strike both kids are home, and since teachers haven’t gone synchronous on-line yet, my wife is home too. Will we go stir crazy, or will the afflicted parties negotiate sooner rather than later.

Breaking long held rules…

November 6, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

Broke down after years of holding the line, and let the kids put up our Christmas tree before Remeberance Day. I figure with the looming CUPE strike, and then the possible teacher strike this holiday season could go sideways pretty quickly, so why not let them have it just this once. It took us a while to do it, and we listened to Michael Buble croon some holiday songs in the back ground, and a few of us have settled in to watch “Elf” with the tree lit up. I generally feel pretty strongly that we should give the Vets their due by waiting to observe Nov 11th prior to starting in on the holiday season. But we’ve had such unseasonably warm weather these last few weeks, so I put up the lights in warm sunshine, instead of freezing rain & high winds. And given that the kids are off school 2 days minimum (Friday & Monday) with the CUPE strike action, the thought of them being home 24/7 whining and asking me constantly to put up the tree was going to get on my nerves, so I nipped that in the bud, and we have it up for two months, instead of six weeks. Ha. The big red Christmas bow is on the front door, and there are a few other items still left to go, but that can wait. The tree was the big ticket item. And with the time change the kids were up ‘early’ jumping in place to get started.

Funnily enough we went to a big indoor park yesterday, full of trampolines, foam fits, dodgeball court and climbing equipment. And within 30bseconds of getting out into the park my eldest hurt her foot by landing half on a trampoline, and half on a line green padded surface. The very first thing the safety video tells you precisely not to do. So today she is limping a bit. No bruise, no swelling, no numb toes, but a limp and some tenderness. I could have called that happening to one or both of my kids. I just knew it. Glad it doesn’t seem to be permanent damage. Could have been much, much worse. Glad it wasn’t a neck, head or spinal injury. Not with how hospitals are as of late. The birthday party we attended was otherwise a good deal of fun. Both kids tried the leap of faith onto an air bag, and tried the trapeze over a foam pit. So I think they had fun regardless of the initial foot injury.

So a lovely four day weekend, unexpected, but nice nonetheless. I have one more bout with the leaves left to go, and then we can think about putting up the second half of the Christmas lights, ornaments and displays on the lawn, trees. Who knows how long any of this will last. So best to take advantage of the dryness and warmth to get those pesky chores out of the way before the weather eventually turns, and we get that icy rain and snow. Ciao Bella!

A stroll down a musical memory lane…

November 5, 2022November 5, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

Turns out I can remember a great deal of silly lyrics even after a few decades of changing musical tastes. I saw that the movie “Weird” is out on Roku now, and went to my CD collection to listen to a bunch of my old Weird Al Yankovic albums. And instantly I was in my early to mid teens listening and singing along to Al’s hits on an endless loop. Though I don’t recall the song names & titles, once he starts to croon the words come falling out of my memory and spill from my mouth. I wouldn’t have scored a 100 on any karaoke leader boards, but the majority of it came back, unbidden, and in larger and longer stretches. With head phones on, I bet I’ve listened to the handful of Al albums I had several hundred times. Bits like “One more minute with you“, or “You don’t love me anymore” just exploded out of me full force. I loved those tunes. Along with “Slime creatures from outer space“, and “Like a Surgeon“. There are so many that I kept on a loop for ages. I don’t remember why I stopped listening to it. Great stuff. Although now that I say that, I picked up the guitar at 15/16 years old and turned to Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Joe Satriani for musical fulfillment. So the parodies, while exceptional, fell out of favour. Then along came the likes of Wolfmother and The Blue Stones, and I just didn’t go back. I did like “Amish Paradise”, “White and Nerdy”, “Tacky”, and a few other more current tunes, but it didn’t linger like it did way back when. I also didn’t have access to the depth and breath of music I have now with iTunes, Vinyl, cassette tapes, cd’s and YouTube deep dives.

Pretty amazing what both smells and music can do for your memory. The first hint of cool air after a rain, makes me think of England, or my walk to school in Scarborough. Certain Status Quo songs make me think of falling asleep under tables or chairs late at night, when my parents held their raging house parties on Baronial Court. I still recall the odd scratchy softness of that mustard-yellow brownish semi-shag carpet in the dining room/living room. The split mirrors running vertically up one wall showing sweaty people dancing, drinks in hand. Or hangovers the next day with Dire Straits playing on the family stereo. Ah, memories. Could be faulty, could be my imagination at this point. Who knows!

We’re off to dig up potatoes. Or the others are, and I’m taking the car to get an oil change. So I best eat something, and go get the vehicle sorted out. Have a birthday party to take the kids to, so I’m on a schedule today! Take care out there. Ciao Bella!

One of the many problems with chronic illness is…

November 4, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

I have a tough time figuring out if I’m sick with something new, or if it’s a flare up of the same old, same old. Fatigue, upset stomach, head aches, nausea are all pretty standard fare around these parts, so anything new has to operate outside those bounds. I need to see a Fever, or rash, boils, or something visible to know right off the bat that I’ve picked up something new. And that isn’t the case. A rogue cough might make me sit up, but if I don’t immediately have a runny nose, or an audible wheeze it could just be a rando cough from dust or air quality. That’s no gimme. It frustrates me to no end. Rotten guts? It’s just a Tuesday. Fatigue? Well I did run up and down a ladder earlier today for 90 minutes, so could just be physically tired. Feeling cold? It’s a damp November morning. Head ache? I work on a screen for hours at a time, no surprises there. Like I said, frustrating.

But it could always be worse, so I thank my lucky stars I have symptoms that I know how to live with and work around. The malabsorption issue is tougher, as that affects teeth & bones, but that’s why I take the vitamins and such. Not much else to do there. Live & learn.

So it’s friday, the first Friday in November, and the EA (CUPE) strike has the kids at home for… the day at least, possibly a few week(s)??? Maybe? Who knows. If all of the unions band together it could work to calm the waters by showing unity, and a united front. I don’t know, I’m not a negotiator for anyone, and I have no inside information from our provincial PC government. Instead it could fan the flames and make both sides dig in their heels. You never know with some people. Especially those whose whole MO, is the shit on the little people, under spending to purposefully ruin programs, and settle into needless road building to appease the very wealthy construction donors. Screwing the little guy is what gets them hard. Or so it would seem, from where we sit.

Kids want to erect the Christmas tree this weekend. So now we need to figure out which furniture we’ll move around in the living room or dining room to make room for our seven foot tall tree. Has to be close to a wall outlet so it can be turned on/off easily, but not block too much of the room. If I get rid of some of the really young kids toys, I can push the couch back, and put it infront of the storage unit (newly built by me!) And have it roughly where it usually is. But that will restrict the kids ability to play there, and will effectively block off access to the toy box behind the couch. First world problems, that aren’t really problems.

Stiiiii-rike One! Way to whiff on it buddy boy.

November 3, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

Now we gotta adjust plans ever so slightly. This is where my working from home part time most days comes in super duper handy. Not just for appointments and sick days for the kids, but for online learning and strike-work action interruptions to the regular school day. Let us hope this doesn’t become another 20 week on line school stretch like earlier in the pandemic. I can do 7-10 days, but after that it’s going to get tense with Christmas right around the corner, and the cold bitter weather rolling in. But for all those walking off the job, you’re in a tough spot. Purposefully. Stay and get shit pay, where after inflation you earn even less than before, or stick it out and get hate from parents and politicians alike. 16k raises for some without batting an eye, $3.25/hr raises for others and you gotta shut down bargaining powers and tremble over the Charter of Rights. Ugh. Not a fun position to be in for anyone.

As far as I know the clocks wind back one hour on Saturday evening at 2:00am. Or very early Sunday depending on whether you are out partying at that time, or have been in bed asleep for four or more hours by then. We were up to about 3am last Monday with a sick kid, and being out drinking and dancing with friends hits different, than a worry induced insomnia. I do not recall the last time I went out to a club or went dancing, beyond any weddings I have attended in the last decade or more. I know we went before we had kids for a friends halloween party downtown, and stayed in a hotel. I’m just not certain if we were married yet, which could put that more than 12 years ago. Sheesh. How time flies.

Luckily we have a large class playdate set up for a few hours tomorrow to run all the kids about outside. I’ll bring a back pack with snacks, drinks and maybe even lunch. I hope it takes up 2 full hours, but with my kids it could last 45 minutes, or drag on for five hours. It is supposed to be warm and over cast, so not a terrible time to hit the park with friends. In that case perhaps I will string up some Christmas lights today, and get that out of the way. Decisions to make.

Love what you’re doing, but I have a few notes…

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

In regards to your performance recently… in that it sucks. When you work, it’s all great, but then you break down, clog, jam, hell we even lost an integral part of you recently in the u bend of a drain (more on that later). So yes, as a no name air brush, you do what it says on the tin, in brief spurts, and do fine work, but ultimately you are a major failing and we don’t want to work with you after you finish all seven parts of this major project. Oh ok? Hmm. Yes, no you can not leave early. We’re under staffed, and you’re the only equipment we have on hand. Budget constraints and all that jazz. Please and thank you. I’ll dock this meeting from your time sheet today. Bye-bye. But don’t leave. You’re not fired – yet. You are fired, but not until all seven items are finished ok? We clear? Great. Uh-huh. Toodles.

So yeah, the no name cheap air brush is solid when it works, but needs to be torn down and cleaned to the Nth degree after every single solitary brief use. The air brush cleaner, and hot water treatment don’t seem to cut it. And all I’m working on right now is priming stuff black. Haven’t done a zenithal high light on anything yet, nor have I laid on any actual colour. So maybe in the new year I will break down and purchase a higher quality air brush.

On the other hand, the caddy works great. The Vallejo ready out the bottle paint primer is fantastic. The iawata air brush cleaner feels like it should work. Smells nice. And my make shift card board box over spray protection booth, while lacklustre is perfectly fine. Can be set up in seconds, and torn down to store under my drafting table just as quickly. I do want to build a better one, but I need to know what I really, desperately need out of it first. Do I need extraction, filters, lights, a turn table or flat static bottom. Do I want to be able to tear it down, or is it a new permanent fixture in my office/studio from here on out. Do I need to build it to fit inside a closet? Or store it under a work table. I don’t know. I do know that eventually a box of more than 100 miniatures will come my way in mid 2023, and I want to hit the ground running when those finally arrive from a kickstarter I backed a while ago. I should have done the Reaper Bones kickstarter, but I opted for a less expensive one, and it might take me for the $100 bucks. Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now.

In other news, the U bend I busted yesterday has been fixed. I went to Schell Lumber and bought a suitable replacement. I put that back in place, and tested the taps. No leaks – as of yet. It threaded properly, and fit the current existing piping. So a win! Yeah. Also I stopped off for groceries and bought a present for the birthday party this weekend, so that’s taken care of too. Came in and worked on some sample labels, and sent them off too. Had a request for some French Language items and got that put together, and am waiting on any additional instructions. So Bully for me. Ciao Bella!

Gotta love it when…

November 1, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

You manage to crack the bottom of the U bend pipe to your bathroom sink when you pull it out to retrieve a very important piece of your tool that fell in while cleaning it. I now have a very tiny hole/crack in the base of my U bend that absolutely pisses water out of it when tested. Atleast I checked it with the bucket & towels underneath. Fuck me. I wonder, now that I’ve buggered it, if all u bends are uniform, or if I’ll be in and out of shops trying to find a replacement. I hope this god damn thing is easy to replace. It has to be right? I guess the dimension of the pipe itself could be the biggest obstacle to finding the correct replacement piece. Hopefully none too expensive either. Well, as it stands now, the water is shut off under the sink & the taps are off, and the line drained. I’ll pull it when I get a chance, and will take the bloody thing with me to go buy a new one. C’est la vie. Whop-dee-fucking-do!

Those liminal days of limbo inbetween holidays.

November 1, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

55 days until Christmas, but we still have Remembrance Day, A P.A Day, few birthdays to get through first. Halloween is officially done, and I’m not entirely ready to shift directly into Christmas, and the Holiday Season. I need a breather. I had hoped to dry off, and take down the Halloween inflatables, and possibly put up some exterior lights. But, much like always around here, plans have changed.

I have my youngest home bound again, thanks to her unyielding post nasal drip cough which she can’t seem to shake off. It was a rough nights sleep, and a wet phlegmy cough filled morning, so she is once again riding the couch/bed combo trying to recuperate. Had a chest x-ray last week, but no news there, as of yet. So no news is good news, but it means we’re stuck trying to use the humidifier in her room, an inclined plane of pillows, and a cool breeze go try and clear it all up. No puffers or steroids (which is for the best). Lots of parents talking about running a course to the end with multiple puffers just for the cough to return in less than a week. So we’re all trying something. The kicker is, we aren’t even into flu season yet, so it’ll only get worse. I’m glad we’ve stuck with masking, but we are few and far between with any others who bother to mask their children still too. There are some, but not many.

On the plus side it’s about 16°C today, which is unseasonably warm, and I’m ok with that right this second. If plans had of stayed the same, I’d be outdoors soaking up that warmth. But I’m inside keeping my kid occupied, and waiting on changes/edits to current projects. The big one I’m waiting on has to pass through some UK officials office for sign off on the data first, so there isn’t much I can do about that. Not my party, not my dance floor.

A warm grey Tuesday for November 1st, 2022. Take care out there. Ciao Bella!

What a Monday it is.

October 31, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

The big day is here, gather round, as we get dressed up to parade around town for freebies & goodies in the rain and/or snow! It’s a tad drizzly outside, but that’s more of the rule than an exception at this time of year. And what luck, it was lovely and warm both before, and after the big day. Perfect for setting up decorations, and then tearing them down. I the midst of getting the house ready I also did about 3 hrs of leaves yesterday. Still have one full Maple left to drop its rusty brown treasures. I’m sure we’ll have snow immediately after it does so, just to mess with me.

But, tonight! The big kahuna! A night to watch a scary movie at home with no kids, while they hand out treats at the grandparents. Or so I thought. Change in plans. *record scratch*. Grandpa has surgery this week, so no kids until he’s out. Gotta stay healthy for the procedure. So looks like an actual night of walking and trick or treating with the kiddos. Bundle up, and walk around with a flash light, and reflective gear on, as the wee ones terrorize the neighbourhood. Should be fun. I will miss my viewing of Alien, or Bladerunner, or some other non-child friendly film, but I can make up for that later this week.

My assumption is, is that things will quiet down a fair chunk as we angle into the Holiday Season, and people run about tying off loose ends before they go on Christmas break/vacation.

It’s a Monday, so I’ve got laundry going, dishes are out of the dishwasher, beds are made, floors vacuumed. Trying to decide if I want to mop today, or wait until tomorrow as the kids with their wet boots and costumes will make a horrendous mess later tonight, and I’ll need to start from scratch on the floors again anyway. So I’ll take the executive decision to hold off for today. I need to fix the main bathroom sink again. Three long blonde haired family members continue to clog it up! Blargh! Nasty. Seems like every other month it starts to drain poorly, and I have to undo everything and pull out globs of hair, goo and muck. Not my favourite task, but it is indoors with music, so could be far worse.

Tomorrow I’ll take down the inflatables, and dry them out. Store them away for another year. I’d love to not get all the stakes, and tie down lines tangled, but inbetween putting them away neatly, and pulling them out of the box a year later, the knot faery comes by and works her magic. Bitch. Ain’t nobody got time for that. If the weather is as nice as they report it will be, perhaps I’ll put up the exterior house lights tomorrow too. Depends. If I feel motivated to get it done, then Bammo! Lights on the house. Otherwise it can wait a week.

As always, stay safe out there. Ciao Bella!

Authors: I’ve often wondered…

October 30, 2022greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

How hard do you have to fight to add some newly made up words or terminology to your books? Do the editors ask you to first try to explain the idea in current known terms, or do they just let fly, and leave you be, if you’ve explained yourself well enough in the manuscript? I’d be interested to know. Just popped into my head while reading some sci-fi stuff, with new & interesting terms I could not locate in a dictionary. Carry on, as you were.

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