Working out the kinks.

Replaced the broken airbrush system yesterday, and was able to once again spray some paint about. I may have over thinned my primer due to pressure issues in the gun, which I later resolved. So today, we attempt round two of grey primer, and we’ll see if I can get better results from this new, and still as of yet unknown to me system. I did give considerable thought to buying a much more expensive unit, with additional guns, bells and whistles. But once I finish the VF-1, it will sit idle for weeks. Unless I paint some board game miniature bad guys. But even still that’s like one days worth of work for broad strokes with an airbrush and gradient passes. The big ticket item is the resin kit, and I’m still about sixty or more hours away from assembly, yet alone paint. If this new system can last for 3-5 years, I’ll be happy about it. Then I can think of a solid upgrade, unless it sits unused all that time, then why bother? Right? Right.

Went across town for some groceries, and picked up some small gifts for Valentine’s day. Nothing major, no bank breaking here. Christmas and birthdays are our big to-do days, and everything else is just kind of family time together, or a larger meal than usual. Easter will garner some attention, but nothing like a Halloween, or Christmas. So with that, I’m safe for another little while from missing any big dates.

The cough and ear infection are an ever present part of my day. I’m hoping this isn’t going to be six or seven weeks of this, like in years previous. But you never can tell. Once something gets inside me, it’ll rattle about from region to region, and back again, until it gets sorted by meds, or shear will power to over come it. So there’s that to look forward to, on the daily.

What’s new, what’s new? Finally about 100 pages in to book one of NK Jeminsin’s trilogy. Moving along at a good pace. There is already a character I would like to see die a slow, horrible agonizing death. So… yeah. My reading has slowed up a bit. Not hitting the new book every four days mark like January. But I’m not racing. And I knew I wanted to open up space in case my attention, or desire waned a bit. All part of the plan. As they say, I’ve got time.

Am supposed to go to a party on Saturday, but this cough, sore throat, and inner ear issue may preclude me from that. Saves us having to find a sitter anyway. I’ll watch the kids, and my wife can go see some friends for an evening. I do believe that the Superbowl is this Sunday as well, so that’s a whole afternoon to spend watching athlete pundits gab about teams, plays, injuries, and such in overly tight suits, under brazenly bright lights, on mock stadium sets. Pizza! Wings! Nachos! And chilli cheese hot dogs, oh my! Game day is full of fun, greasy, messy food that will wreak havoc on my interior. But it’s all part of the pageantry of the day. The game itself will be just another game, but intermingled with the build up, a half time spectacle, and all the new uber expensive commercials, it’s an EVENT! BOOYAH! Give’r boys!

I imagine Las Vegas feels like Christmas when these big events come around. You can gamble on just about any aspect of the game, the people surrounding it, even the national anthem. It’s pretty wild. I watch a lot of “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia“, so I’d wager on the Eagles if I felt inclined to do so. I don’t, but if I did, that’s how I’d go. I’ve done zero research, no facts or figures. I just like the Eagles this time around. I’m sure Mahomes is a lock, or what have you. But nope. Eagles. I have no money on it so what’s to lose.

When the kids are spoiling for a fight…

Oh my god, these kids are driving me nuts! All they want to do is follow each other around and start shit – constantly. Shouting & fighting for what appears to be no reason. Ugh! I’m sick of this, so very, very sick of this. The name calling, the breaking stuff, the little puppy dog following routine just to start throwing punches, scratches, or a bite. No wonder people way back when used to beat the shit out of their kids. Time outs, and being sent to their rooms has only worked for so long. In the words of the Simpsons, I have a “hanker’in for a spanker’in“. But that doesn’t really work either. Just makes everyone hate each other. Can’t lock’em in a closet to keep them apart either. Truly very frustrating.

I have high hopes still, that the two will like each other as they grow up into their teen years and beyond. A man can dream can’t he? Maybe it’s just a multi year long phase? Are they just bored? Upset by all of the impending cold weather? Out of sorts because Christmas looms so ominously large on the horizon. I wonder if the youngest is upset due to all of the birthday talk for the eldest’s birthday party that is coming up before Christmas. Could be a multitude of things given how complicated children are. Sometimes I have to just shake my head and walk away. Take a minute to decompress while they work in tandem to press all of my buttons at once like only your family can.

Now look, we’re all cuddled up on the couch watching Mike the Knight as they share a snack. So who knows what the hell is going on. Doesn’t make those tense moments any better. But I far prefer the quiet times over the tumultuous ones.

Gah! Kids. So much hard work. A real labour of love to keep all of our heads on straight. Kudos to all of you out there raising little ones. It’s a daily struggle.

Dreams are weird.

Last night I dreamt that I was composing this amazing blog post (of all things) and I was dictating it out loud and it was all very intense and exciting. But do you think I can recall even a sliver of what it was about? The lasting image was of having fun composing the post, not the actual content within it. Tells you something doesn’t it. Boring! It means it’s more important to me to write, than what I write about. How dull. But that fits me to a T. Pragmatic, robotic me. The act of doing is in itself the reward. How intrinsically valued can you be. Ugh.

Still haven’t found the time nor energy to go see Dr Strange 2, or Top Gun: Maverick yet. Perhaps after these family parties are done. Although, then I need to get on top of planning my youngest’s pool party at the end of the month. Seven confirmed guests so far. Three will be away and can’t come. So this time (with lessons learned) we go 10:00-12:00pm, and stick locally. Fewer guests, and a shorter period of time, earlier in the day. Pizza, drinks, pool, cake and home time! I’ll let my wife sort out the goody bags. The holy grail of childhood apparently. Which isn’t something I recall being a big deal in my childhood. Not sure if I just don’t remember, because I’m thirty five years plus out of that age bracket, or it wasn’t really a thing with the families of my childhood friends. Couldn’t tell you, if I’m being completely honest.

It is strange, what I can and can’t remember about being a kid. I still recollect my late teens years, fairly vividly (because I was sick, and depressed from being sick). But I couldn’t say much about being a little kid. I do know that I was pretty oblivious. It wasn’t until Facebook came around in the early 2000’s when I realized some of my friends had older siblings, or any siblings at all. Singularly focused on my friends or our activities. Didn’t much care for whatever else was going on. Still don’t.

Yeah, dreams are what’s weird.