It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted anything. Not sure why, precisely – probably a combo of being busy at work, not doing anything super exciting, and just generally being lazy. I talked to my dad today on my way home from work. He is 60-some years old yet somehow still finds the energy to actually get stuff done on the weekends. I am proud of myself if, on a Saturday, I make it to the gym and read a chapter of a book not written on a 10th grade reading level. He spends his Saturday mowing and fertilizing the yard, insulating barns, replacing basement windows, and chopping up 15-foot stacks of hardwood. He’s fueled by copious amounts of sugar, though. Maybe that’s his secret. Anyway, his activity really accentuates my lack of it.
But over the past couple of weeks, however, I have started taking some strides in the right direction. First of all, I read a book that required some mental effort, Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty. It’s not a deep book, really. Or maybe it is, and I just wasn’t getting it. But the style of writing takes a lot of focus to slog through. Maybe the book is written in a Southern style, and what with me being born and bred inIowa and all, I just cannot comprehend the winding, obtuse prose. I’ve never lived on a bayou or with folks named Bluet and Pinchy and women named Jim Allen. I just don’t get it. I prefer precision in my language. I get annoyed when I have to figure out what is being said. But, I finished it! I persevered and didn’t give up.
After finishing Delta Wedding, I jumped in on The Singularity is Near, right where I left off. This book I also find hard to understand, but only because I’m not a futurist, not because I’m an Iowan. The book is super interesting – all about the combined evolution of man and machine. I can’t wait to see where that takes us.
I also did a little art last weekend – nothing fancy, just a little somethingto get back on the saddle again. I used my favorite drawing subject again, Mr. Lucent Longoria:
I was just playing around, so it’s pretty quick and dirty, but it was also fun, which is really what counts.
While Tim was making delicious burritos for supper, I also worked on my Mom sketch:
I’m going to paint it with watercolors. I think it will look smashing when it’s done. I need to work on my spacing, though. I ran out of room for Mom’s hair, but oh well. These are really practice pieces anyway.
At least I’ve been a little productive lately. I haven’t holed myself up to re-watch all of the Firefly episodes again or anything. It’s been tempting to do that, too, with all this annoying rain we’ve been having. Tim and I couldn’t bike at all weekend before last, and we only made it out on Sunday last weekend, and then only for a super quick ride to Emeis Park and back. I was trying to show off for Tim and burnt up all my energy in one little, fast burst. I need to start training on my own, sans Tim, so that I can keep up with him when we ride together.
Hope you all had a pleasant, fruitful weekend!