The Otaku Gene

IMPORTANT!! IMPORTANT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:30:00 +0000

I have finally gotten a domain name/website!

This will replace BOTH my Livejournal and Blogger!

There will still be blog posts and sketch updates and stuff, but this is also host to my portfolio and writing collection. Please update your links and/or subscribe to the RSS if you want to keep up with me!

Photoamusement

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:07:00 +0000

We found a perfect Deardorff Large Format Camera in the closet at school today. Worth about $1,700 dollars. HOLY FSTARKING CRAP. We hope the principal will let us sell it on eBay or something.

We also set up our studio to take portraits. Right now we're just working with two lights and nothing else. No umbrellas, no bounces, nothing else but the flash on my camera. It's pretty ghetto and makes for some funky lighting that ultimately didn't please me, but it's a start.
So here's some stuff I did for photo:

(Click for larger if you can't read the text)

Kids are two Photo III kids who had nothing better to do.

A New Member of the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:25:00 +0000

Meet Inky, 160gb iPod Classic. First one I've bought for myself.

I could afford the iPod, but not the Applecare, which was an additional fifty bucks... it's worth it, but now i'm fifty in the hole.

But hey, movies! I've been putting trailers on my iPod while it loads all my music.

-Flip

A Suprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 03:37:00 +0000

Remember This Post from a few days/week ago? Well, I had sent a letter to him same day I posted it, saying how much I loved his first book, Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, and how much he had inspired me when I was little.

I got a handwritten postcard from James Gurney!!

Omg I was so stoked. :) I am so happy. Totally made my day.
*dances*

-Flip

An Unpaid Job

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:19:00 +0000

Here's a doodle of the Lord:

He has a mouth now.

Today I might go to school and help Mrs. Whelan wade through our three closets full of old photography equipment.

I swear, it's like Christmas every time I go in there. We find so much stuff that I wish we had last year, but since the photo teacher two years ago left in such a hurry, everything was just thrown off into a pile and left uncounted. So we have a bunch of stuff, like developing tanks and a freakton of trays, plus three color enlargers and one large black and white one. We also have some old-timey antique equipment and really obsolete stuff that we can't use anymore.

So our plan is to go through, salvage whatever we want and can use, and the rest we're going to sell. We got the OK from Dr. Smith and Dr. Geihs, so the proceeds will come right back around to the photo department.

This is really cool for me. I found our backdrop stand, plus three rolls of backdrop paper, two of which weren't even out of the packaging. I'm now the one that's also in charge of all our 'Calls' from around school. I've got the sole responsibility of taking pictures for the Student of the Month display and all that crap, while the rest of my class learns Photoshop and fights with our extremely crippled computers. I get an extreme amount of joy and sense of accomplishment out of my Photo II class now. :)

A Rant

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:28:00 +0000

I've been a member of Deviantart since I was about 12. That's four years I've been faithful to them through everything.

Deviantart used to be a great service. Many tutorials, stock photos, and intelligent people, beautiful art, and a great social network for other artists of different mediums.

Recently, I don't know when, because I don't seem to remember them pointing this out, they have turned on the Mature Content Filter for anyone under 18. I'm 16, and have never turned the filter on. DA does not post pornography, but artistic nudes and sometimes references to drugs or violent images come across my radar. They do not offend ME, and my parents have thus far always been cool with it. I'm kind of pissed off because all of the sudden, I click on something and it says "You cannot view this until you turn 18."

Nobody told me this. There was no news post.

I post my grievance in the forum, and I'm instantly flamed with "I really don't care anymore" and "What's with all these diaper-changing complaints lately, grow the f*ck up"

Seriously, I addressed my complaint in a civil and adult manner, and these people are treating me like nothing.

I'm seriously in a shaking rage, mostly because of the response I got.

So, I quit DA today, once and for all. My drawings are taken off, and my photos will now only be displayed on Photobucket. Any drawings I do post will probably be either here, or on a seperate sketchblog if I so choose to make one. I might actually get to work on a portfolio site within the next few months...

Holy hell I hate people.

-Flip

Good things!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:25:00 +0000

Well, good things may be afoot. This is May as in "Unicorns MAY exist, but until we kill one and eat it, we'll never know."

Firstly, there's a new section in the school newspaper titled Campus Life, or something of that nature. With a new section, they need a new section editor. I've since volunteered my extra time, and I'm feeling hopeful. Most of my Journalism class is Freshmeats, and I'm a Junior, so I have seniority over them. Plus, I'm taking three English classes this year. It's not really a section I'm ecstatic about, but it would be pretty friggin' sweet to be able to work on the paper.

I won't be a staff writer, but I still get to do something. :D

Also, last year I took the PSAT, which is a requirement among highschool sophomores. Apparently I scored high enough to get the attention of some smaller schools and institutes around the states, but I haven't enticed CalArts or the Brooks Institute of Photography. I did however get a letter from University of Nevada, Reno saying that since I placed so high on the PSAT last year, I should take it AGAIN this year, to see if I can be a finalist and win a four year $60,000 scholarship (Or, $15,000 a year) from the National Honors Society or something.

So, I have until next monday to register at the bank for the PSAT. It's only fifteen bucks, and not that hard. The only problem I have is the math part, and I still didn't fail. I take the real SAT at the end of this year, and this should help me prepare for that too, I guess.

Here's some art since I still don't post enough. :> I have some new ceramics pieces that need to be fired once we get the part for the kiln.

Gurney Journey - Dinosaurs!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:57:00 +0000

I remember reading Dinotopia when I was real little. I loved the illustrations in the one hard-back book I had, and before I really read it, I only looking through that book just to see the pictures. I had the first one, I think. Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time

So I was so stoked when Drawn! had a post about James Gurney's Blog, Gurney Journey. He has a lot of tips and tricks, and I had no idea that Dinotopia was still going so strong. I'm going to have to pick up some of the books and look through them.

His stuff is really fantastic and immediately made me think of Artlad. :)

Autism Strikes Again

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:08:00 +0000

Today started off normally. The printer was out of ink, so when I tried to re-print my Creative Writing homework, it was all fuzzy and faded and stupid looking. Then I left it at home. Awesome. Luckily I had it saved to my thumb drive, so I could print it out in Photography. Other than that, the day went by with little problem. Nothing interesting happened.

So when I got on the bus to go home, Fletcher is obviously agitated. He's hitting his head and fussing, but nothing too serious as we first pull out of the parking lot. Then, he starts hitting harder. I was afraid of him knocking himself out, maybe a window, or hurting anyone (Bob forbid, the Bus Driver.) so I have to leap out of my seat and hold down his arms while he kicks and screams and keeps trying to hit himself.

Now, I may be older, but my feminine genetics and lack of dietary regularity have put me somewhere between 90 and a 115 pounds on a bad day and good day, respectfully. He's taller, chubbier, stronger, and much more ferocious. So while I hold his arms and scream at him to stop it while the Bus Driver and Aid look at me. When I have his hands, he stomps his feet and kicks and tries to get into the aisle to fuss even more. My new fear was that he would kick the fire extinquisher or hurt the Bus Driver or Aid, so I pull him back up in his seat as best I can (Causing my back to twinge something fsking bad) and scream at him to stop. He's hitting his head against the seat, just hell-bent on causing himself bodily harm while he bellows and screams for any reason. I don't know what set it off, but I know my hands are still shaking 30 minutes later, and I was afraid he was going to break my arms or something.

So that's an example of how bad he can get. That's not the worst, however. I know, because if it were the worst, I wouldn't have been able to stop him. And then I don't know what I'd do...

Halo 3!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:27:00 +0000

At long last, after years of waiting and weeks of suspense, last night just felt like Christmas... Boyfriend and I were so excited we could hardly sleep (even though I ended up dozing while we texted back and forth) And finally...

We got it! I got up about 1 and dad let me play two levels. We ended up playing until three, then I went to bed for two more hours. I'm kinda dozy, but not defeated like I usually am. I have a friend that stocks Bawls so if she brings me a bottle I should be more than set for the day.

And so far my review: Effin SWEET.

I got time to putz around on the computer, but I should really put some food in me.

Sketchcast!

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:27:00 +0000

I thought this would be a nifty little tool for Artlad and MM. :3

NaNoWriMo! and My Little Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:45:00 +0000

Who's participating in NaNoWriMo this October? I am!

Wow. That means that the concept of Candour is about a year old, and it STILL hasn't been really written yet. Jeez.

Perhaps I can get something down this time.

(I'll be suggesting this to my Creative Writing class on monday.)

Also, on the mention of suggesting something:
Walk Now: Cure for Autism is doing their Las Vegas walk on December 1. I've taken it upon myself to start up an actual Team in honor of my little brother. You can make an online donation for the cause- finding the cure for Autism, or for us specifically, even. I wanted to keep this a secret from my folks until the walk.. but that's so hard. I'm not a secret keeper. (I doubt they read my blog anymore anyway XD)

So I'll keep the link up on the right, and if you could pass us along to all your friends and family and maybe throw us a few bucks, that would be greatly appreciated. Look around the site! Chances are there's going to be a walk for you sometime in the future. I'm also going to be pitching this at school.. I plan to go pick up one of those new iPods at the Apple Store, and have a fundraiser at my highschool- whoever donates the most money during october and november will get the iPod. Or something like that.

So that's what's been under my hat this month.

How to Bleach Stencil a Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:40:00 +0000

Boingboing has an article on How to Bleach Stencil a Shirt.

I've already done something like this, but it didn't turn out so good. I tried to bleach "Otaku" onto the back of my zip-up hoodie. Problem was, I used regular printer paper as my stencil. My second mistake was leaving it on, so the bleach soaked up into the paper and ruined the positive space of my stencil.

So I think I'd like to try something similar to this. I'll be making designs and having some fun with it. :)

Hiatus Broken, and Fletcher's Bad Day

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:09:00 +0000

Circumstances kept me away, but I'm back for now, I think.

So it's been almost five weeks of school, I think. Maybe four. I don't really keep count... But my schedule is cemented to the point where I can use my photographic memory to get to place to place, and not really rely on remembering the room numbers (Always a problem when I have to sign a pass or something, but I hate paperwork and avoid it at all costs anyway.)

So our schedules are split up between odd and even classes, I think I mentioned that before. A bulleted update is as follows:

-I have 3 English classes, so I'll be earning 3 English credits this year. I only need four to graduate. Woo for me!
-Photo II is not so much a class anymore as it is a studio job. My inner pretentious voice likes to say I am the executive know-it-all (Because I am) and authority on all digital cameras, plus computer software. Which is true.
-As Photo II is mostly us catering to the rest of the school for all its photojournalism needs, I've been asked to go to a couple away games and take sports photos. I don't know if I will, but it's an offer and that itself makes me happy.
-Journalism I is possibly one of my more boring classes. (Along with US History and Algebra, all of which happen on the same day) And while I can understand the necessity of learning the history of Journalism, I just wish we could write more. Learning about Tinker and Hazelwood, and the parts of a newspaper are fun up to a point...

~*~
As for recently, nothing has really happened. Today, Mom took Dad to Lake Tahoe for his birthday, so the Grandparents are here to supervise my brother and I. All was well until I got to my sixth period class, and I had to leave to go calm Fletcher down as he was having a meltdown. I came in and he was sweating and red, but he wasn't screaming or hitting. Mr. Balint, his 'teacher', was holding him and walking him around the cafeteria while four other people- two more Special Ed teachers, plus the campus Policeman and a Hall Monitor (I mean, seriously? The campus police?) Just stood there and watched. One of them tried to stop me, but I just kind of barked at him, "I'm his sister."

Everything went okay. He was calm. Mr. Balint was rubbing ice packs over Fletcher to calm him down while the other teachers asked me if there was any certain way to calm him down. I couldn't think of any that would not be socially and publicly distracting (I.e., pinning his arms behind his back or something, which is sometimes necessary when he's violent enough) so I just said no.

So I asked Fletcher what he wanted.
"Go home,"
"Fletcher, we can't go home. Mommy and Daddy aren't there, but Grandma and Grandpa will be there when we get off the bus. Then we can have pizza. Do you want pizza for dinner?"
"Marco's".
"Yep. We'll have Marco's Pizza for dinner."

And the administrators standing by looked at me in almost awe. It was really uncomfortable for me to see their reactions, like I was speaking to some wild animal and magically calmed him down. I know it's difficult to work with kids like my brother... but when I have to be pulled out of my class to do something they should be able to handle, it makes me feel wary.

I make it sound a lot worse than it really is. In the end, my Grandpa came and picked us up. I left with them without even signing out, so the school is probably going to call me and once again warn me about being truant, if I'm truant more than three times blah blah blah go to court, all that jazz. I'm sitting at home now, typing this up. Fletcher's calm, grandparents are sleeping. It's quiet, and the weekend is about to start... hope it goes better than it began.

PS:
SEASON THREE OF AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER STARTS TONIGHT!!

I have been waiting for MONTHS I am so stoked. This show is the best kids show I've seen in a long time. It's taken the space in my heart that used to be occupied with shoes like Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop. If you haven't followed it this far, you should pick up the DVDs and watch them. Great characters, great story, great animation. Great HEART. The biggest thing lacking in kid's shows today.

So watch it! I demand it! Great for all ages. :)

Yet More Developments

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:16:00 +0000

Things apparently keep on rolling. I've been getting help in terms of babysitting. Basically just being offered tips on what to do and all that, and sometime soon I'm hoping to go to the YMCA and take a course to get certified for CPR, where I can then legally do it.

I also filled out an online application for Part-time/Seasonal photographer at Bernhard and Williams, with training included. So if that goes through and I can make it there, (The studio is about 8 miles from my house, says Google Maps.) then I could very well have an 'internship' at this place, which does the senior portraits for my school, as well as regular student portraits for the yearbook. They're coming in next week, I believe, so I can probobly bug some of them to see what I need to be hired.

Moving on Up

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:06:00 +0000

It's the conclusion of my first week of Junior year, and as such, I bear gifts of promising news.

-Tyler and I have Creative Writing together one day, and lunch the other. Not the best situation, since we obviously can't socialize in class, and lunch is only 25 minutes long, but hey. We aren't complaining. It wasn't looking likely that we were going to get anything together for a while.

-Some idiot (Or possibly a badly coded program on the computers) put me in the third period MALE weight training class. In case you've followed this blog for a long time and never found out, or have just started reading and never gathered, I'm completely lacking the plumbing and/or genitalia to classify as such. So I spent three days of my week sitting in the gym doing nothing surrounded by meat heads and weightlifters. All the other, less classy girls were jealous of me. I mean, what girl wouldn't want forty other guys slobbering all over her with teenage impulses?
Ah, you see, I've been taken for a year. And I'm also very terribly picky.
It did pick up last time though, when I was surrounded as they watched me sketch one of the guys that asked me to draw him. Turned out nice, and he was pretty psyched. It made my morning. :D

-In conclusion to the weight training fiasco, I have since been switched into Journalism I. I never really considered it, but it was the only elective I was willing to take that wouldn't screw up my schedule. My first class is on monday.

-And finally, since our Photo II class is so small (And two of the kids out of fifteen are actually Photo III- the only ones left) I seem to be able to talk to the teacher much easily. Mrs. Whelan is new, and only knows analog photography and darkroom techniques. Digital and stuff is not her forté, which is a disappointment to me, but not a problem. Her husband teaches Biology, and wants someone to document his class. I volunteered and explained to her that I have the equipment, skill and time to do so. So I will end up doing that next week, plus it is very possible I will be paired with the Graphic Arts lady that makes the school newspaper, and I'll be doing portraits of special people and documentation of special events. Hopefully I can add some life to the photos and make them NOT look like mug shots :P

So, in celebration, I give you some pictures of one of our many class pets in my Anatomy and Physiology Honors class, Left-eye the old, slow, half-blind leopard gecko. (Click the images to go to my Flickr and see bigger versions)

As Far as School is Concerned

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:29:00 +0000

First day was the boring initiative day... we got our schedules, stayed in home room for two hours, then had a bunch of 25 minutes classes throughout the day. Had to go to all eight periods and get signed in.

Second day, I go to my A day classes, which are 1, 3, 5 and 7. (AP US History, Weight Training, Algebra II H and Ceramics II, respectively.) Some smart person, or computer, put me in the male weight training class, which is not even an elective I asked for. So coach Cochran wants me out of there before next week. Hopefull third period will be taken up by a drawing class, then most of my day on A days would be spent occupying one side of the school.

Today I'm going to B day classes, 2, 4, 6, and 8 (Photo II, Creative Writing, AP American Literature, and Anatomy and Physiology) and I'm very excited, because for the most part, they're all teachers I like, subjects I enjoy, and I have Tyler in at least one class. (Which would be creative writing.)

Mistakes so far on my part have been few. I was fairly good about writing down my schedule, since they give you one copy and you have to give that back on the first day. But I wrote down Algebra and Literature backwards. So I took first lunch, as you would take for the Lit class, and went in, and very stupidly realized fifteen minutes into it that I was in a freshman and sophomore reading class. So my teacher (Who is very sweet, nice, smart, and small. :D) sent me off to Mr. Nyugen, my Algebra teacher. Popping in halfway through class, I manage to struggle through a review packet and a student questionnaire at the same time, then I go to lunch. (Again.)

Tyler isn't as happy, but then, he had a rough first day anyway. 3 hours in registration. And I have to go in there today to get my third period changed.

So, just an update on life.
(Please forgive possible spelling errors in this post. It's 5:45 in the morning and I gotta go in thirty minutes. Sleepeh!)

Surgery Update

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 01:05:00 +0000

So, I got six teeth removed at about 9'o'clock this morning. I hobbled to the car, stumbled around, and just kinda chilled out.

Then I had to get rid of my gauze so I could try and drink my shake, and some of it had gotten stuck around my newly installed brackets. So while trying to pull out this soggy, bloody gauze and right as dad was coming back with rubber gloves to help me, I passed out.

Just. Like. Zonk. Really wierd.

So all day I was confined to the couch before I could fall all over the place, even though I know I won't. I'm fine now. Had some sugar in me, since I figure most of the problem was that I was fasting for six hours prior to the whole deal and I still couldn't eat for a few hours anyway. It's been ten hours and the local anasthesia still hasn't quite worn off. I can't feel my lower lip, and I'm desperately craving cheesy bread. :(

I got pain killers. Might end up using them later.

So yeah... interesting day.

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:55:00 +0000

Just ogt out of it. Extremely ... eh. Not disoriented. I can walk and talk just fine (cetp for gauze in my mouth) but typing is another matter.

god damn six teeth gone. I got pain killer medicine and the ladies in the office snuck a packet of top ramen in my bag. Sweet.

Also, my dogtor was really buff and scary with the hugest jaw bones I'd ever seen. But i liked him. he was cool.

should be a fun week at schoo.

Orthodontosaurus

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:14:00 +0000

Thing is, I've got bad teeth. Cross bite, over bite, crowding, pretty much the whole works. We've known it for years that I would need braces. I just never thought I'd have to decide in fifteen minutes.

We go into Dr. Fuller's place, and Dad and I are greeted with a quirky little parking-space sign saying "reserved for Flip and Family" and dad immediately is in giggles. That is SO cool, he insists, and I'm just a little put-off. I couldn't help but think Oh god, this is one of those places that tries to appeal to the inner kid. I tell you, my cynism wasn't wrong, but it also didn't stick the entire time...

So we go in, and while Dad is filling in the questionairre, I'm filling out my own that they give me. What kind of music do I like, my favorite foods, favorite sports, what have you. They finally come in for me, and I get the regular Pano scan and the other x-rays needed. And. Boyo. The exam room I ended up in looked like a deep-compression chamber. The seat had a custom apholstury with a tank gauge on it and everything.

So while they take pictures of my teeth (And dad is in more giggly hysterics taking pictures of the "zombie face") I guess I'm more relaxed. Or, at least as comfortable as one can get in a dentists office.

So the girl comes in and jokes around. She notices the shirt I'm wearing ("I'm a sucker for a Latin Boy". I still feel silly wearing it in public sometimes.) and says "Sorry, we don't have any here."

Lol. Told her I had my own.

So then we wait a while to see Dr. Fuller to discuss what we need to do. I had gone in thinking this would just be a consultation and we would just talk. I had been scheduled for wisdom teeth extraction on friday, and possibly a surgery to correct my jaw. But Dr. Fuller mentioned that if it were his daughter, he wouldn't. He'd seen complications, and people go into depression because they didn't recognize their own face afterwards. So instead we reached a comprimise, which involved taking out two teeth behind my eye teeth, my canines. So, since I was already scheduled to take out wisdom teeth in two days, he said I should just get the other teeth out and get it over with.

And the braces gotta be in before I get them taken out.

So, in short, after discussing it further, and finding out I have two and a half years of orthodontal care ahead of me, I got the braces.

I feel very silly to say that I couldn't help but think of the scene in Revenge of the Sith where Vadar rises up, all decked out in his helmet. I almost giggled.

Now I'm just sad that I couldn't eat much steak. :( The brackets keep my back teeth from touching all the way.

Like Moon-boots only AWESOME

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:06:00 +0000

You can find out more information on these nifty little bouncy legs at Poweriser Pages. I want some! They look like so much fun!

EDIT:
Here's the website of the US dealer. Oh man. If I wasn't saving up for a Macbook again, I'd so get these...

The Nightwatchman - Alone Without You

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:31:00 +0000

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), now working under the name The Nightwatchman, saw a preview screening for Michael Moore's Sicko and was so inspired, he went back to his hotel room and wrote a song. It ended up being featured in the ending credits of the movie.

I didn't like Tom's guitar bits in later Audioslave albums, but for the most part I feel he is an incredibly talented dude. It's nice to see him still doing what he does best even without the help of Brad and Tim. He's still doing his politically minded songs. And this particular song is a nice little acoustic thing. Quiet. Which is an interesting change of pace from what I usually hear from him.

So I guess I'll have to pay more attention to "The Nightwatchman"

Anatomical Tattoos

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:48:00 +0000

Street Anatomy has a gallery of some stupendous anatomical tattoos. The first and the third are my absolute favorites. I really enjoy body mods and have come to admire people who do them. I know my parents don't show as much appreciation for them, or for my enjoyment in them, but I'm not going to stop loving wonderful skin work. Plus, a lot of those show a definate amount of skill involved, and the artists should be commended.

And think, it could be worse. They could have been all BSOD or Zune tattoos.

Via Boingboing.net.

Ps, I think someday soon I'll do a roundup of my all-time favorite tattoos and mods.

To Call Upon

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:03:00 +0000

I made this because I needed a business card... The back isn't made up yet, but this is the front. I want to print it on a nice rough paper so it should have more texture when it's finished. I just need to establish a permanent portfolio site and what not.

I can't wait to finish this. :) I'm rather proud of it.

(click for a bigger picture)

In Regards to Cephalopods

noreply@blogger.com (Flip) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:22:00 +0000

I truly have the best boyfriend ever. :)

Knowing full well my obsession with Octopi and Cuttlefish over the past few months, he picked this up for me at the Seattle Aquarium :D :D (I also got a Mariners shirt from their most recent game at Fenway park. What a tense game!!)

But yes. I forget what started it, but I have been occupying my art with more of these cuties. I even had a little webcomic in mind with a Giant Octopus named Homer and his caretaker Odessa. Never went anywhere with it... but it was the center of my obsession for a long time. I've also got designs for my ceramics class involving cuttlefish teapots and minimalistic octopodes. I might sell the teapot I make this year if it even comes out nice. :)

So yeah, thanks to my Tyler I have my very own Homer. :D