The [fill in the prefix]est thing I saw today

The what the ykk-iest thing I saw today.

2011-01-22T13:08:00.006-06:00

Cross-posted at my little tumblr blog. I am experimenting with tumblr. There, I said it.

The Huntiest Things I saw today

2010-10-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

I went on a walk in the park this weekend and saw some intense treasure hunters.

They were wearing earphones and knee pads while using metal detectors.

One of them stopped, knelt down and started digging with a spade.

I wonder what he found...

The comfortiest thing I saw today

2010-09-21T15:52:00.003-05:00

There is some road construction taking place outside my office window.

I saw this touching moment the other day:The construction working appeared to be comforting the big digger, it was sweet. Like Danny and the dinosaur.

The Nerdiest thing I saw today.

2010-07-14T21:26:00.007-05:00

Thanks to friend MtheP for drawing my attention to the entry on The Nerdist titled I Miss MS Paint by Matthew Burnside.

Burnside says:
From time to time, I long for the comfort of a picture slapped together on MS Paint. Those lo-fi looks warm my hart(sic). The jagged lines and construction paper colors pull me backwards into nostalgia.

Indeed. This charm is partially why I chose the medium in the first place- that and the fact that I had no access to fancy schmancy digital art tools.

Just my speed.

I have neglected my time with Paint and this blog and you lovelies; Burnside's piece makes me want to change my priorities back.

Keep an eye out and if you have some art in MS Paint you would like to share, please let me know.

The Pearl Jammiest thing I saw in September 2007!

2010-03-09T09:12:00.003-06:00

Hello! I miss you! I think about you a lot and I hope to get my drawing game back together.

Today is a very blah, foggy, Seattle 1990-something kind of day, so I thought I would share this drawing I meant to post over 2 years ago:

On a very similar kind of morning, this guy was belting out the Pearl Jam at the bus stop!

And no, he is not homeless or wearing shoulder pads, that is just artistic flair. He WAS wearing flannel though.

My Review

2010-02-15T09:56:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Love it! Love it! Love it!

By ThatGirlMissy from Minneapolis, MN on 2/15/2010

Pros: Pockets, Long straps, Design, Waterproof, Style, Work and play, Roomy

Cons: Need good bus pass pocket

Best Uses: play, Diaper Bag, Work, Crafts

I use this bag for work and play, it holds a notebook, lunch, knitting and a small purse plus my random little things a person "needs" to get by, oh, and my coffee! I love the long strap and handles. It has already been in a couple snowstorms and the waterproof works like a charm. Dry goods when I got home looking like a snowman. I was able to fit my laptop on on top of the above things, but it was pretty tight!

Interior of my working bag.

Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product, Interior

(legalese)

The Draggiest thing I saw today!

2010-02-13T12:26:00.002-06:00

The yellow belt-iest thing I saw today!

2010-02-03T21:20:00.003-06:00

On the way to dinner with fine friends after a sunny and cold afternoon enjoying the Art Shanty Projects, we drove past this clever placement:
Are the ninjas disbanded, or disguised?

I hope you did not need any martial arts experts in a hurry along HWY. 55!

The fixiest thing I saw today!

2010-01-24T20:51:00.002-06:00

On a windy, snowy, nicely below freezing night recently I saw this dedicated Minnesotan and fixed gear enthusiast fixing a chain suck:

When you are riding at night in snow and ice, against the wind, who needs brakes?!?!

That green thing on the bike is a hockey stick. Awesome.

I will note that he DID have both front and rear lights turned on. Nice. Safety first....erm...visibility first!

Some call Minneapolis the #2 biking city in the nation. I have no clue who can decide these things, but there are plenty of bike commuters even in the bitter cold and snow. I am not sure how many of them also play hockey.

The toothiest thing I saw today.

2010-01-21T07:27:00.004-06:00

You may have received this in the mail from a major health insurance provider:

The Beav!

Cute. Beaver. Teeth. Ok.

Then you open it up and:

Better? More like MURDER!

The horror!!

That beaver is sure to fall to the grips of evolution now. Pretty sure he cannot swing an ax.

The glutenous thing I made today!

2010-01-01T10:07:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!!

This morning I am off to a crafternoon brunch hosted by TrinKnitty. I am really looking forward to it.

For the event I decided to make some bread from this bread baking book I really enjoy to read and use when I can. I made the Light Whole Wheat Loaf.

Let's look at the results together:

Oh look!
There is the baking book on the right and friend Dave's new book on the left.
Both books are by local authors and published by St. Martin's Press.

These would never get on the shelves at Rustica.
(Which has moved to Calhoun Village, by the way!)

I think they will taste better than they look and baking them was as fun(ny) as they look!

The Starstruckiest thing I saw today!

2009-11-02T15:27:00.016-06:00

If you live in Minneapolis Ward Nine like myself, you might have gotten the awesome mailer below over the weekend. As much as I have a problem with the waste involved with everyday junk mail and this kind of campaign mailer, I got great joy from this one:

"OMGAWD! GARY SHIFF!!!!! I am not going to wash my hands for a month!
You are my FAVORITE city council member! Just don't tell Cam Gordon!" *

Now there is no doubt in my mind that Congressman Keith Ellison supports City Council Member Gary Schiff! What a relief!

And I am so glad that they are so glad to know each other. It is nice to see that a Congressman can have such respect and excitement about a city level legislator.

City Council Member Schiff looks so calm and cool with the attention and admiration too. I like that! I mean, having a dreamy Mayor who is always performing for the voters is enough.

His power is in his eyes, this shot weaken him.

Right?

OMG! I have the same shirt!

The All Power Rybak

Right.

Remember to vote tomorrow!

*Note that the Honorable Congressman Ellison has neither confirmed or denied this statement.

The Stickiest Thing I Saw Today (File Under: Ceating with Photos)

2009-09-18T09:09:00.004-05:00

So I have not been able to keep up with drawing all of the beauty of humanity that surrounds and astounds me each day, I apologize to you and humanity.

I do have drawings, they are just waiting to be tweaked. I seem to have become behind at most everything and I am getting better and better at procrastination. Ask my chess friend, I just made my first(possibly suicidal) move in our game since like June.

Yesterday I made a snap decision. I grabbed my camera and I decided to just take pictures of some of things I have wanted to draw for you!

I hope that helps while I catch up on my art.

To begin, I have the house with the best fence ever. This fence is homespun and it is constantly growing, becoming more confining to the 4 X 7 foot plot of yard it protects.

I got lucky, because there are usually some nice, smiley elders sitting out in the yard, guarding the fence.

As you can see, one side of the fence is standard chain link, The other three sides are pure wire, rope, and various sticks. Some sticks are from nature, some from household goods, some from sports equipment, and some are unidentifiable from the sidewalk.

There are always new sticks being added in between existing sticks, and they have even started laying some flat across the top of the fence.

What makes me smile the most is that so much work is being put into protecting a couple trees and a lot of crabgrass. Those trees and that crabgrass are very important to someone. What's not to love about dedication?

The Lichtenstein-iest thing I put together to catch you up today.

2009-08-18T21:53:00.013-05:00

Roy Lichstenstein is one of my favorite artists; I find his pieces simple and yet profoundly emotional. Plus, they are fun!

I am going to use his works to express my feelings of recent events in my life.

Thanks, Roy!

Just 3 weeks ago today, my 37 year old partner, Todd, had a sudden and destructive major systolic failure, aka a heart attack.

It threw our life into chaos, confusion, fear, and frustration.

After a week in the hospital, we had to face life with major changes and unknowns for what the future holds for Todd's health, his heart, and our life.

We both want to do all that we can to prevent another wallop to his heart.

We are so grateful for wonderful health professionals, advances in cardiology, and fantastic health insurance to help us with this goal.

Of course we are grateful for one another as well, we both have done our best to help one another cope and move forward. Todd has been very brave and willing to sacrifice little things to have a big life.

Dietary change was already on our radar, but now even more foods are dangerous and need to be limited or eliminated. I am now disgusted and angry at many foods.

Even though we have been out of the hospital two weeks, we are still catching up on everyday tasks at work and home. It is discouraging, but I try to cut us some slack. We have put extra emphasis on taking care of ourselves by relaxing, walking, and taking time for ourselves to focus on the more important parts of life- the things that make life grand.

Despite all my best efforts, I still feel out of control. I am drowning in a sea of new information, new concerns, and delayed day-to-day tasks.

I have been exhausted and out of sorts, so aggravated with things I cannot influence. I worry about Todd. I mourn the loss of our prior life and plans. Sometimes I feel very alone and scared.

Through it all, we have been so lucky to have the care and support of family, friends and colleagues. We are so grateful!

We are so lucky to have loved ones who have sent cards, called, brought flowers, made and shared meals, sent resources for sustainability, scrubbed our kitchen, put together care packages, shown patience, shared hugs, taken over managing repairs on our home, helped carry things, assisted in work, sent cook books, shared inspiring stories, LISTENED, and overall just have shown that they value Todd and I.

Everyone has brightened our lives! We are reminded that we can get through this and we do not have to do it alone.

Support from everyone has made me feel loved and hopeful, helped me to feel stronger. I believe Todd would agree.

(This one lives right by my office, and it is gigantic, I should pay it a visit!)

Thank you, everyone! You are not alone either, I value you and am here for you too! So is Roy.

The Blushiest thing I saw today!

2009-06-02T16:06:00.010-05:00

(Hey- Long time no see! Thanks for returning with me!!! I have missed drawing for you!)

As I awaited my Metro Transit chariot home yesterday, I was quite amused to witness four individuals of the male persuasion who were all randomly dressed alike and all rushing to catch the same bus.

(Click to enlarge)

I found it darling that they were all wearing pale pink polo shirts!

(The color shown here is more of a "hot pink", their shirts were "Baby Girl" pink. Paint has drastic limitations on color selection.)

From anecdotal research, I have found that this color is not always easy to get the male of the species, or the some females for that matter, to wear. I could see no reason why they were all dressed so similarly, it is a busy bus stop and a busy bus.

I had a fleeting sense of joy as they all rushed by me. If they were flamingos, I would have thought they had all scored a nice shrimp bounty!

I took a count on my own bus, and found that periwinkle blue was the polo shirt of the day, with five total on the bus.

The gaardiest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-03-23T10:08:00.005-05:00

I received a new monster to post today! Fantastic!

Today's entry comes from my friend Dave, he drew a lovely monster for the challenge and he also creates them in his writing, as evident by his 2009 Bram Stoker Award Nominated (nice job Dave!) debut novel and friend to us all, Tello n:

Tellon, with Richard "A-Bomb" Klatte and Troy LaFaye, in The Hardworking Man From Nebraska.

Now, let us meet Krangaard:
Dave reports: He was born on a Monday morning after a three-day weekend, was made to go to work in the Pain Mines of Blech, and has been enraged ever since.

I hope I never have to work in the Pain Mines of Blech, but if I do, I will say a cautious 'hello' to
Krangaard.

Thank you for this great monster, Dave!

Any one else have a monster? Will I ever get my own drawing act back together? Questions we all have to live with on a gray and drizzly spring morn, I guess.

The Maggotiest Thing I Saw Today: Monster Challenge!

2009-03-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

My friend James, who sadly moved to Boston but is still rad, came up with a doozy of a monster for our pleasure.

The Maggot Farmer:James writes: The story is that he was a bad man who stole a pig and was sent to prison. The authorities killed the pig and threw it in his jail cell, where they left him alone to rot. After 3 moons past he managed to escape, but only after eating the pig, skin, guts and all.... and whatever came out of it. Now he has a taste for awful, and his body is starting to change.

This is amazing and totally creepy, James! Great work!

James asked if I could make out the facial features, I think I can and I think I am uncomfortable with the way he is looking at me.

Anyone else up for a challenge? It is a hazy shade of winter in Minneapolis today, I encourage you to take 5 min and create some magic- but do not eat any maggots!

The Frankencheesist Thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-03-06T16:08:00.007-06:00

Oh this week has flown by! I have another monster submission waiting in the wings. You people are awesome!

This installment is by Jeremy Couturier
I actually bought a drawing of his on etsy.com, it is a timeless piece portraying an epic battle. Take a peek. I think Chuck Norris will win! Todd questions my where my loyalty lies. What do you think will win?

Jeremy says: This familiar trio has decided to ham it up for an opportunity to be in the monster challenge!

Boy howdy! They certainly have. And they look great doing it, still scary.

I bow to your talent, Jeremy. Thanks for sharing some monsters with us!

The Frostiest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-03-03T13:59:00.004-06:00

This is the first of 2 new contributions to the Monster Challenge! Hooray!

Sarah describes how here monster came to here:

Attached is a sketch of a monster that I saw the shape of in some frost on the inside of a car window. He's kind of messy since I had to draw quickly before the window defrosters melted him! Really, I saw this shape and I thought, that kind of looks like a face, a kind of creepy but cute monster face. He doesn't have much of a story beyond that, but maybe he will become a character in some future drawings or something.

And people wonder how we can live with the winter! There is so much beauty and inspiration in all of the seasons.

Great work Sarah! I encourage you to visit her blog to see how she is so creative in so many ways.

I have another entry to post tomorrow! Please come back to check that out. Also, if you have a Monster waiting for you to create and to contribute, I encourage you to do so!

The Chinga!-iest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-02-13T18:34:00.009-06:00

I am excited to share a drawing that Jennifer made for the Monster Challenge.

Jennifer also drew one of her pets:

The artist says: This is Jezebel. I drew this picture of her as an attack cat for my friend Xime -- the Chinga!cat reference is from an X-files episode, in which a very violent doll wreaks havoc, all the while saying, "I want to play!!" This is my cat, to a T.

I have met Jezebel and know her story, I can't argue with Jennifer. Sorry Jezebel! You attack things, but you are a pretty kitty, nonetheless.

Here is a very slow loading set of footage from that episode (I hope!):

The Sweetest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-02-12T15:37:00.004-06:00

Today's entry comes from my friend Sarah. She created a lovely mixed media piece to depict her monster and sent it to me via the US Mail.

I could debate with Sarah about whether or not Clara Belle is a true monster; but there is no arguing that this piece is darling!

It makes me think of Ezra Jack Keats or Eric Carle, with layered papers of different finishes and colors. I wish that the scan could do that effect justice, you will just have to trust me.

Who will be next? Who is ready to share a monster with us?

The Murkiest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge!

2009-02-10T08:41:00.003-06:00

I chiseled out this monster, Murk, because of the cloudy, wet, dense air that has taken over my city the last two days.

I like to think that Murk is lurks somewhere out there in the foggy abyss salvaging dity snow piles and luring in the misty air. Or maybe he is out to get us all! AHHH!

I hope that it is sunny again tomorrow and that Murk goes back to the Pacific Northwest or his den in the sky to rest.

The Cryptid-iest thing I saw today!

2009-02-09T15:16:00.003-06:00

Here is another great submission to the Monster Challenge!

This one is called "Daydreaming at Work Monster", or "Wishful Thinking" and it was created by Jen.

Jen is a graphic designer and amateur cryptozoologist.

While I did not confirm this, I believe this is actually Jen is a prior life, or maybe on the weekends?

Great work! Bravo!

I hope to see more monsters. The people who have contributed thus far have enjoyed the activity, so if you need a boost to your day, take a bit to scratch out a creature!

The Tune-iest thing I saw today! Monster Challenge!

2009-02-06T15:52:00.005-06:00

Here is my monster, Szwink:

Szwink devours the particles of joyful sounds that travel through the air with her tentacles. These particles are invisible to the human eye, but sometimes a laughing human will snort when a clump of these particles are escaping the body. Her favorite activity is sneaking into slumber parties, sledding hills, and playgrounds to observe and absorb. Sometimes she will sing out to amplify the sound. Laughter breeds laughter, right? She is small by monster standards, she can easily hide under end tables and park benches without hunching down.

The Overextend-iest thing I saw today: Monster Challenge Submission #1!

2009-02-06T15:24:00.004-06:00

Meet Work by Eric G.:

The artist reports:
My monster is work. All I can say is that this is a literal depiction of the scene in my office right now. The geniuses in upper management decided to lay off some of my coworkers while we are in the midst of the hugest project we've ever been involved in, and now it's down to just me and a couple other tattered individuals to shoulder the workload.

Eric G., I wish this multi-tasking monster could actually come and help you out at work. I hope you had a few fun minutes in your day creating this work of art. I really love the detail and the colors.

Thank you for your submission! Hooray for Eric G! Here's hoping his workload lightens.

Anyone else??

The CHALLENGE-iest thing I saw today!

2009-02-05T21:09:00.009-06:00

In the past I have posted some drawings from Monster Attack, the drawings of the son of the artist behind American Elf, my favorite daily webcomic.

Today this drawing and the story behind it made something burst in me, like a pin to a balloon:

This drawing is genius, simple, full of fun and imagination.

Also, this drawing also lacks boundaries of reality and the limitations of studied talent and time. This drawing is not grown up.

This piece made me realize that I have been too grown up. Not only have I been slacking on my drawing blog, but have been wrapping myself up in responsibility and worry. I have turned down my imagination and free spirit.

I am sadly willing to bet that some of you have too.

So, I am posing a challenge to myself and you, and your partners and your friends and you colleagues and your children, or whomever you feel like it sharing the challenge.

I hereby challenge you to create your own monster and send it in to me to post here, or just show someone you would like to see smile.

You can draw a picture and some background information like Eli has above, you could play in photoshop, make a collage, doodle on a post-it or what have you.

Do you dare to think outside the grown up box with me? To toss away worries of judgment or financial gain?

We know you can!

I wanted to make it a contest, but I did not want people to stress about bigger, better, best......but I still have a grand prize in mind if enough people want there to be a public vote......

What do you think?

Take a deep breath, let yourself go!

****Functional details, if you do not already know my email, or know me on facebook, you could post a link from tinypic.com in the comments, or we can figure something out!

The Steamiest thing I saw today!

2009-01-12T12:52:00.005-06:00

It is super snowy outside! Whee!

I just took a half outside/half inside route to run an errand, and upon reaching my office building, this is a peek of what I saw:

A heated sidewalk getting things done- sizzling up those snowflakes!

Everything else was newly white and powdery. I felt a little sad for that slab of concrete, though I enjoyed the contrast.

The MeMe-iest thing I did today

2008-12-29T16:20:00.010-06:00

A blogger friend of mine did this 5 question interview meme and I decided to take her up on it. I was very curious about what she would ask; her questions and my responses are below.

Here are the rules if you want to participate in 5 Questions.

Say ”Hey! Interview Me!” in the comments
I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
You can then answer the questions on your blog.
You should also post these rules along with an offer to interview anyone else who emails you wanting to be interviewed.
Anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog. It would be nice if the questions were individualized for each blogger.

1. Is your house usually messy or tidy?

Messy! I am great at creating piles, and then piling up upon those piles. I am also fantastic at procrastinating about things like washing dishes, "Life is so short, let's go for a walk instead of washing dishes!".

I wish I could blame it all on my cluttered partner, but I am just as bad as him.

2. When was the last time you shaved your legs?

In September, for a friend's wedding. It is cold here! I need all the insulation I can get! Ha! Actually, here are my real excuses:

I have very sensitive skin and it hurts to shave it.
I am married.
I have super light blonde hair, no one can see it except my sister, she can always spot it and harass me about it.

3. If you could be queen of the world for 1 hour what would you do?

First I would see if there was any loophole to extend my hour of power to at least an afternoon.

Second, I would call Oprah and give her flack about not using her money to pay people to keep her fit and/or tell she should just share her some of her fitness/diet staff to work with less fortunate people with obesity/diabetes/etc problems. Sigh, Oprah. Seriously though, it is hard to struggle with weight. See my blog about trying to go to the gym...trying.

Third, I would somehow rule that banks had to forgive a certain percentage of peoples' debts, across the board. Not all of their debts, just some, like 30%. I believe we all have to be accountable for our choices, but it is pretty obvious that the world economy needs a boost, or some sort of new beginning or a sense of hope that there is a way to get out of the debt darkness. I am not sure what I would do with people who do not have any debt...but they deserve many kudos. I suppose this action would require a lot of planning and thinking, so I hope I get notice before I am given my power.

Fourth, I would start the ball rolling on requiring everyone to work in food service for at least 1 day of their lives. I think this could have a ripple effect to remind us all that service employees A. Are human too. B. Deserve respect and gratitude. C. Perform sometimes demeaning and/or messy jobs and that they are working hard for little.

Lastly, I would give all undocumented and legal immigrants the afternoon off- hopefully this would fall on a busy business day and other citizens would notice the absence of the immigrant population. This would be a reminder that they are hardworking and a vital part of all of our lives, and also that even though they may not speak English the best or have the most important of jobs, they are valuable and deserve respect and gratitude.

On a selfish note, I would try to work in a really nice meal with friends and maybe a pedicure or a shoe shine. And I would tip BIG with my own pre-power money.

4. When you have to make a dinner to impress someone what favorite dish do you prepare?

People always seem pleased with this salsa that I "make" (or mix) that consists of a can of corn, a jar of salsa, and a can of black beans. So, I would make that as an appetizer with blue corn chips. I would make some deviled eggs too, some with red pepper "horns". Ok, maybe something fancier. Who am I impressing here?

I would probably serve broiled pork chops as the main dish with steamed vegetables. I might season the chops with some Old Bay or this salt-free Spike that I have. I love to eat sauce, but I usually prepare foods myself as simple as possible- perhaps to make up for all the sauces I eat elsewhere? I would steam some broccoli and pea pods on the side and order the anti-pasta salad from Jakeeno's, because they make a fine salad and I would be busy cleaning, conversing or running behind. I would either back some rolls or serve some olive bread and multigrain bread from Rustica.

I would have some beautiful fruit too, maybe berries (a valued item in the north). The fruit and berries would be from Byerly's or Lund's, local upscale grocery stores where the fruits are so perfect that one barely needs to look at them before buying them. (Do they have upscale grocery chains by you? With carpeted floors, neatly stocked shelves ready to be photographed at anytime, plentiful samples and drive-up car loading? with baggers who know the fine art of bagging groceries? Note that in the Twin Cities bagging is not a customary grocery service and when places like Target bag your groceries, they do a crap job. I actually prefer to bag my own groceries.)

For dessert I would make this pudding/cake thing that I am not sure I am at liberty to share the recipe to,
but it is great with vanilla ice cream.

5. Who is the most obnoxious person you know?

Oh man. What if they read this blog?? What if it is me?? I talk A LOT! And I am not always entertaining to listen to!

I guess I would say it is a person, or people, who lack empathy, thoughtfulness, and generosity. They complain a lot over things that no one can fix: like the past and the weather. They complain and do not offer suggestions or take action to make change. They are more self-centered and selfish. They do things like nickle and dime things like splitting the bill between 7 people even though we all spent roughly the same amount, the difference between tabs is mere cents, and it would be SO much easier just to split it evenly. They also are poor tippers and like to tell me that I am tipping too much in a smug way, as if I am some sort of tipping chump being taken for a ride by a greedy server.

The Bow Wowiest thing I saw today!

2008-12-15T19:40:00.003-06:00

I love holiday decorations! I do!

We all know about houses that go crazy filling their yards and homes with props and lights, and then more props and lights!

Well, this house in my neighborhood had a different vision than most and I love it! I salute it!:

I hope it is clear that they gave their house jowls and a red tongue so that it looked like a dog, because that is just what they did!

The varying sizes in the upper windows make the dog that much more charming, in my opinion.

I cannot wait until I have a house to decorate. Bravo!

This is the way my brain is feeling today!

2008-12-08T11:01:00.006-06:00

I am on a grueling phone call and just drew this quick!

Stress! Antsy! Excitement! Overwhelmed! Over-caffeinated!

I should add that I am normally a wiggly and fidgety person, so today that is amplified! Just image in imagine never sitting still, I didn't want to make anyone nauseous!

I just thought I would draw it and share with you! Everything is fine, just a hectic week at work is all. A hectic week now visually expressed!

The sing-a-long-iest thing I saw today.

2008-12-02T14:30:00.003-06:00

Saturday night, and friend and I were visiting a burrito place in Dinkytown. Dinkytown is adjacent to my employer and alma mater; as well as the alleged haunt of Bob Dylan and myself when we went there (years apart).

Like any college neighborhood, the place was packed with and staffed by twenty somethings.

While my meal was prepared, a beloved Weezer song came on, and we all started singing along.

That's me in the maroon shoes.

It was fantastic! Everyone kept about their business and we all carried the tune at the same time.

Aw yeah. "That'll be $6.75" All right. "Did you need extra sauce?" Feels good, "No thanks", inside.

If we started a choreographed dance number it would have been just like a sketch on the muppet show!

The Advertainment-iest video I watched today.

2008-11-28T22:50:00.008-06:00

I do not even know where to begin with this. It is happy and silly and sort of depressing all at once.

Happy because it is a marriage proposal video

Silly because it took place live on the morning news at a Best Buy Store on "Black Friday".

Sad because it took place live on the morning news at a Best Buy Store on "Black Friday".

Just the term "Black Friday" is silly to me. I mean, sales are awesome! Sales are red!

Proposals are very personal and to mazal tov them!

And congrats on those values that Best Buy. I hate that store, but it is a local business and we need all those jobs. That'll be $10 for the advertising, Best Buy.

The Turkiest Thing I saw today

2008-11-26T13:40:00.002-06:00

Oh wait, I did not see this, I just drew it.

I drew it a few weeks ago, not 23 years ago, as you might be thinking.

I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Gooble! Gobble!

The listiest thing I saw today

2008-11-24T22:38:00.014-06:00

A friend of mine made a list of 100 things that she loves. I thought this was a nice activity for this week of Thanksgiving, plus it is just nice to remember the things in life that make us happy. There are so many.

So here ya be:
1 111 bus

2 Advances in cardiovascular medicine

3 Aidan's chatterbox

4 American Elf

5 Antibiotic ointment

6 Apples to Apples

7 Aprons

8 Arthur Miller

9 Band Aids

10 Barefeet

11 BBQ sauce

12 Bean strainer

13 Bed

14 Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies at Rustica

15 Black Beans

16 Blueberries

17 Bricks

18 Buddy Holly

19 Burritos

20 Café Miel

21 Cardigans

22 Carmex

23 Cast iron skillet

24 Chickens

25 Club Neo in Chicago

26 Colored paper

27 Contemporary art

28 Crop art

29 Daddy

30 Dancing

31 Deep bowls

32 Double features with Todd

33 Drawings by children

34 Effort

35 Ellie's excitement

36 etsy.com

37 Evan Dando

38 Fans

39 Father Hennepin

40 Floaties

41 Foam pillow

42 Fresh cut grass

43 Fresh snow mornings

44 Gift Shops

45 Ginger

46 Gingher Shears

47 Glue gun

48 Google Reader

49 Guernseys

50 Halloween

51 Jalapenos

52 Kemps Rocky Road Ice Cream

53 Listening

54 Lists

55 Local pizza joints

56 Louise Erdrich

57 Mad Men

58 Madonna

59 Magnets

60 Marge Gunderson

61 Maria's Corn Pancakes

62 Mary Janes

63 Maturing

64 Midtown YWCA

65 Mittens

66 Mono Correction Tape

67 Mother's stuffing

68 Motown

69 Naps in the park

70 Navy blue

71 New socks

72 Noah's sensitivity

73 Online chess

(my chess friend Jeff and I)

74 Online dating

75 Ornaments

76 Pint glasses

77 Polka

78 Postal workers

79 Pronto pups

80 Quarters

81 Re-purposing

82 Scandinavian design

83 Sea and Cake

84 Sewing machine

85 Sharing

86 Sharpie markers

87 Smiles

88 Target

89 Tartar Sauce

90 The Movies on 35th Street

91 Thermos

92 Todd's patience

93 Trails

94 Tweezers

95 Volunteers

96 Walking through dry leaves

97 Water

98 Wild Wild Life music video

99 Woody Allen

100 You

Awww!

The Forearm-iest things I saw today.

2008-11-14T15:06:00.008-06:00

I was wondering if this post does not really fit into my own blog premise, or if it is something that will only entertain me, but I keep thinking about it, so here goes....

Walking out of a building the other day, I thought I saw a young woman who was an amputee. It looked like she did not have the lower half of her right arm

My mind started whirring, "Huh, it is rare to see a young woman missing her arm. I wonder what happened. She is so young. I hope she was not in the war or in a terrible farm accident. Maybe it was a genetic thing. Wow Genetics are amazing, it is a miracle all the things they can do these days to work with genetics.... "

But my quick train (trains?) of thought were stopped when I realized at second glance that she did have two full length arms.

Oh, never mind, mind.

Then I was thinking, "What an interesting optical illusion, I totally did not see evidence of her full arm. Good thing she was not in an accident. Speaking of accidents, I have been meaning to draw a bike on bike accident I saw....."

My thoughts stopped because within 10 feet of the 2 armed woman, I passed by:

This time I made several glance to confirm that this young woman was missing her right forearm and hand.

My mind was blown, so it took another 10 feet before I started speculating about her story.

Did the Universe send the first woman as foreshadowing for the second woman?? Should I be learning some lesson here? Is it just coincidence? Should I try to reach Art Bell?

The proudest result I saw today!

2008-11-05T09:45:00.010-06:00

Of course I am THRILLED with the results of the Presidential election...I am beside myself with pride and joy!

But I wanted to post about another race that I am beaming for; a victory that my dear friend, my soul sister, Skylark contributed to with her whole heart and being...even though she did not live in the person's district! May I present to you:

Mike Obermueller is a stand up hardworking guy. He won in an exciting rematch of a very close race in 2006.

District 38B is the town where I went to high school, where my parents live still, and is the very "Red" home district of our(cough*wretched*cough) governor, Tim Pawlenty, who you may have seen talking to Diane Sawyer last night spewing apologetic rhetoric for his own party as Obama slam dunked last night.

Lynn Wardlow was a math teacher at my middle school and I went to school with one of his sons. I was never impressed with his skills in the Legislature (a pretty pathetic moment in his life and in the life of politics that you may want to watch).

When I last lived in Eagan, I would write Lynn Wardlow often about issues I cared about as his constituent, issues that I knew he disagreed with me on. He responded personally to the emails, but his responses were very closed minded and upsetting to me. I wish I had kept them, but I erased them because they made me so angry.

ANYWAY! Skylark and Mike and their friends have been working their buns off for two years to gain this house seat. I think they knocked on every door in Eagan thrice! And they did it! They earned that seat!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

Skylark, I am oh-so proud of you, I do not even have the words. You turned 38B BLUE!

The voting-est thing I saw today!

2008-11-04T10:50:00.008-06:00

Today is election day! Hoorah!

I love voting. I love the power. I love the camaraderie of voting with my neighbors at the polling place.

I did not draw this, this child did.

And I love kids voting!!!

I love watching the kids go over to their special voting booth and getting their sticker. Inspiring!

When I was a kid, our school was a polling place and I was in awe of the grown-ups voting. Now I am in awe of the kids voting! Will nothing satiate me??

The un-deadest thing I saw today!

2008-10-20T09:21:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend my friends and I hit the town in our best back from the grave or recently attacked zombie attire.

Here is my husband and I- my husband the werewolf....

There were hundreds and hundreds of undead roaming around. I loved how creative people were with the assignment.

This was me favorite:

She was a zombie stock broker and had great visual aids.

The saddest thing I heard about today- Blog Action Day.

2008-10-15T10:12:00.005-05:00

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is Poverty. My friend N just returned from over a month in Patna, India, which is in the state of Bihar. Bihar is located in the northeastern part of

India

near

Nepal

. She is a nurse and she volunteered at an eye clinic through an organization called Unite for Sight. I am very proud of her!

She has countless stories of the struggle and poverty that she witnessed on her trip, things that I cannot even begin to wrap my head around. One thing she saw has stuck in my head and I drew what I imagine it to look like for today:

What she witnessed is hundreds of people gathered to sleep on the median dividing traffic on a very busy road. She said that the median was the only place to lay down and sleep that was not filthy with waste. The alleys and sidewalks are frequented by cows, dogs, pigs, and other humans, who all leave messes behind. There is less of that traffic on the concrete median, so people with no where to go home to sleep there to be cleaner.

Remember, I did not see this, so I cannot do this sad reality justice. I have never seen anything like this, not so many and not the dangerous median of a busy thoroughfare. I cannot fathom being so desperate to rest on a clean surface. Unfortunatly so many around the world can and do every day; even here in Minneapolis where the nighttime temperatures reach below freezing much of the winter.

I have been looking into new volunteer opportunities, both short and long term, as a way to contribute to helping those in my community who struggle. There are so many ways to help, it is overwhelming!

Of course there are always fundraisers to attend, including the Empty Bowls Project, there will be one of these in my neighborhood on November 7th. Maybe I will see you there? Maybe there is one near you?

I am behind, I'm sorry

2008-10-07T11:31:00.005-05:00

I have so many things to draw, please come back!

Here is a picture of me in silly glasses, if that helps.

The Jumbotron-iest thing I saw today!

2008-09-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

When visiting the area in St. Paul near the RNC Convention, I saw this large monstrosity perched between the Cathedral of Saint Paul and the Minnesota State Capitol, right on the last leg of the route the delegates took to their convention site:

What cracked me up at the time was that I instantly assumed that this eye sore was an installment by the GOP for their convention...

WRONG!

It was the work of True Blue Minnesota, who took the opportunity to exercise their free speech with constant footage of things like post-Katrina media coverage and Frontline exposes on prominent Republicans.

I suppose that is excessive technology that I can get behind...and under!

The nosy-est thing I saw today

2008-09-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

When I was at the protests on Monday, I was humored by the three lines of participants; like a layered cake they spanned the street:

The 3 P's:
Police
Press
Protesters

The Press filled the space between the riot police and the protesters. They spent most of the time watching the police. In this shot the press are running to catch up with the deviating anarchist group.

I also noted that all of the 3 P's had camera and video equipment. All three layers were documenting the happenings, all for varying reasons, I think.

The cat and mouse-iest thing I saw today!

2008-09-03T15:55:00.005-05:00

On Monday, a friend and I went to St. Paul to check out the big anti-war march on the RNC.

We grew impatient waiting at the rally for the march to start, so we headed into downtown St. Paul to witness what else was going on.

Prior to the start of the big march, we saw a lot of the anarchist crowd during their approved protest and the trouble they stirred up when they reached the end of their approved route and kept right on marching.

They splintered off into little groups like a bunch of mice. We saw them running up and down side streets followed by law enforcement. It was comical and disturbing all at the same time.

We saw a lot of police in riot gear and even some police horses in riot gear.

We saw this guy get pepper sprayed.

Many anarchists went off and broke windows and damaged other property. 200-some were eventually arrested that day.

Then they came out again yesterday and did it all again.

The kickin'-est thing I saw today.

2008-08-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

I was stuck on a slow-and-go bus out of downtown the other day, thankfully this guy was walking in tandem to entertain me:He kicked that shoe steady-on for a good 4 blocks before the bus finally broke free of the downtown stop and go bubble.

Do you suppose he was trying to understand someone better by walking a mile kicking their shoes? Or was he breaking a shiny new pair of sneakers in?

The No Rush-iest thing I saw today!

2008-08-21T11:32:00.003-05:00

I love checking out garage sales, especially on a whim as I drive around town. I am a sucker for signage like: "MOVING SALE!" or "Multi-Family Sale!" and the best is "Estate Sale!". I will follow those signs around and see what kind of treasures they lead me towards.

I saw a sign in my neighborhood the other day that was not nearly as enticing:

Isn't a perpetual sale actually a STORE?

On another note, the Great Minnesota Get Together starts today! Yes, the Minnesota State Fair is now open for business. I love the fair and I hope to find lots of fodder for drawing when I go on Sunday.

If you love the fair too, or if you need to be educated about the MN State Fair, I recommend the blog My Pronto Pup. The mere fact that someone has a year round blog dedicated to the Fair should be a big clue as to how much people here love the Fair. The author is one of MANY people who go every day of the fair (August 21-Labor Day).

Also, I saw this crazy article in the Strib today about a family from NW MN who walked 400 miles to the fair with an ox cart. What?!?!? I am not sure if the pronto pups and cheese curds are THAT good!

The Team workiest thing I saw today

2008-08-01T14:25:00.005-05:00

Today is the one year anniversary of the I-35W Bridge Collapsing here in Minneapolis.

I live and work near the bridge, so I have been watching how hard all the bridge builders have been working ever since that day one year ago.

There are people working on the bridge 24 hours a day. They worked through bitter cold in the winter and hot humid days in the summer. There are all kinds of cool trucks and cranes and barges getting things done.

You may not know this if you don't live here, but they have already made the bridge connect across the river:

It is scheduled to open in September.

I am very impressed at how fast all the legislators and what not worked to get organized and get the project going, I mean, if they had just decided to replace the bridge it probably would have taken a year just to narrow down a design and decide who would pay for the bridge. am I right?

Then of course the people working on the bridge are amazing. I have seriously driven by around 1am on cold winter night and seen people out working on the bridge. BRRR!

Oh and the people who survived the collapse! They are out of this world. For example, the kids that were on the school bus made this mural together:

The mural is right by my house, so I can go by and think of how brave they are all the time!

Lastly I am proud of the community-at-large for supporting the victims and for dealing with the lost bridge very patiently. If you do not live here, then you probably do not know that this bridge is a major freeway artery and also that a long stretch of freeway just south of the bridge had already been under major construction before the collapse (and still is today- FYI 35W will be closed this weekend between 494 and 94). I have not heard people complain about having to detour around the bridge...but they do complain about the "normal" construction!

Way to be a little patient, community-at-large!

The Goal-iest Thing I Accomplished Today!

2008-07-31T17:13:00.004-05:00

Around 6 years ago I went to a motivation workshop at work and we had to draw a long term goal for ourselves on a note card. I drew this:It is hard to make out via the scan, but this goal card is the goal to earn a Master's degree. In the bottom right I have drawn myself stressed, but in a good academic sort of way. In the upper right there is a lecturer.

I have had this card posted at my desk ever since, it has followed me through 4 jobs, buying my home, meeting and marrying my partner, and meeting so many wonderful friends.

Today my thesis project was approved! I am DONE. I have met my goal. My work is off to be bound.

I am a Master.

The sick thing is....now I want to draw a new card about me working for a PhD!

Ha!

I am so thrilled to be done.

I hope that you keep your goals posted somewhere and that you can work towards being done too!

The Contradiction-iest Things I Saw Today

2008-07-24T17:13:00.004-05:00

I drove by this house in Nordeast Minneapolis a couple weeks ago. I feel like they are sending a mixed message of hopefulness and reactionary-ness:

PS: I loved their homemade sign! Homemade signs say so much more to me than a factory pressed official sign. It says "I am so much behind this idea that I took the time to make a sign myself." I suppose it could also mean "I am to shy (or cheap) to approach the campaign for a sign."

You know, the way that I drew the picture it looks almost like they are asking Obama to stay out of their yard. Ha! I don't think that is what they meant, but I could be wrong!

The [fill in the prefix]est All Stars!

2008-07-22T09:52:00.003-05:00

Just quickly-

Yesterday I ran into not one, not two, but THREE of the people I have highlighted in this blog.

Here's the rundown:

First I saw "The Sharped Dressed Man" and he was wearing a pastel turquoise suit. It was a very Easter-style ensemble.

Then I saw "Pen Neck Guy". He only had 3 pens in his stretched out tee-shirt collar though.

Finally I saw "Shiny car guy", he was out with the weed whacker right near his car.

In other news, our new tree is not doing so great. We have been taking turns watering it, but it has been so so hot.

I am almost done with my master's thesis...that is where my blogging time has been going, so you better watch out for more drawings. I have some already done and a list of topics!

The Humbugiest Things I saw today

2008-07-10T20:22:00.003-05:00

We got our new license plates in the mail today. I laughed our loud and beamed with pride when I saw them:

Bah ha ha ha ha!!!

Meanwhile, did you know there are actually more than 10,000 lakes in MN?

The Sickest thing I saw today.

2008-07-08T13:03:00.004-05:00

I left my liberal nest in Minneapolis for my home suburb of Eagan on the 4th of July.

Eagan is a nice middle to upper-middle class 2nd ring suburb that is home to offices of several major companies, including the headquarters of West Publishing, Old Country Buffet, U-Line shipping products and Northwest Airlines plus outposts of Coca Cola, Tastee Bread, Unisys, EcoLab, and every big box chain store one could name.

Guess which company had the most American flags out for the holiday:

Why it was the world's largest defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

Fantastic.

The sharp dressed man struck again!

2008-06-27T14:58:00.005-05:00

You may or may not recall this post from the past, but it was very popular one because people I know tell me they see this guy all the time. I have seen him a few times since the blog even.

The other day I was on a crabby backslide and my friend M to the P took me out for some pomegranate juice and venting.

There I was crabbing away and M to the P says "LOOK! There's that suit guy!"

And there he was:He helped to cheer me right up! Where does he get those suits? Where does he go dressed like that? What is in that suitcase? Why is he always in a hurry?

There are too many questions like this in life to be crabby!

The perfect matchiest thing I saw today.

2008-06-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

Look who else was climbing Crazy Horse:

This cute very elderly couple (I am guessing mid-80's) wearing totally matching outfits!

Yeah, I am not very good at drawing elderly people, so just bear with me. Imagine some more wrinkles and their bodies a little frail looking.

These two were walking arm and arm through the woods in their darling matching duds. Insoirational love and commitment!

The brassiest thing I saw today.

2008-06-12T00:41:00.002-05:00

Does anyone have a used Baritone for this kid in Worthington, MN?

I sure wish I did!

Crikey! The awkwardest toy I saw today.

2008-06-11T00:59:00.000-05:00

We saw this at the Reptile Gardens (a nice spot if you like animals by the way, not a cheeseball as you might think):

There was no stingray in the Ocean Dive playset.

RIP Steve Irwin. I feel bad that this toy is still on the market, but perhaps you would want it that way?

The steepest thing I hiked over the weekend.

2008-06-10T21:41:00.006-05:00

Hello there!

I went to Custer, South Dakota over the weekend and hiked up to the face of the Crazy Horse Memorial with my family. The trip brought much fun and many new things to draw for you.

I need to catch up on my drawing, so I am cheating and showing some pictures for now.

Here we are at the top:

I am not sure if you know about this monumental monument project, but one man started it 60 years ago with a chisel, a hammer and some dynamite. No public money is being used to complete it , it is oodles bigger than Mt. Rushmore and it probably will not be completed within any of our lifetimes.

That is crazy!

The first weekend in June they let you hike through the rugged woods to the top. I recommend it if you like hikes, woods, and singing songs like "Climb Every Mountain", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "The Happy Wanderer".

The Lovingest Thing I saw today!

2008-06-01T19:09:00.004-05:00

I went to a wonderful wedding. It was full of love and caring and smiles. All their familiy and friends were helpful and welcoming and thrilled for them. Heart. Warming.

The bride was a dear friend of mine and the groom was a fantastic man.

Look at those smiles of joy:
I wish "Paint" and my mousing skills could capture their true beauty and bliss.

Not only was the wedding a joy, but the handy groom did one of the most clever things I have seen in a while. My friend needed a little more height on the cute bridal sneakers she bought so he attached a rubber stopper to the heel. GENIUS!

Wow!

The instinct-iest thing I saw today!

2008-05-29T20:41:00.004-05:00

My darling and I hitched the overnight Megabus to Chicago over the long weekend. Good times!

On the bus trip down there were some kids sitting across from us. Like most of us aboard, they slept through the trip, they even slept through the rest stop. But when the Mom got back on the bus and opened a fresh bag of chips, the sleeping little girl knew just where to reach:

So cute and hilarious. Her little person knew to grab at the goods even while she snoozed!

More to come from Chicago!

The Dutch-est thing I saw today!

2008-05-20T21:01:00.003-05:00

This homeowner knows how to brighten up the block:

Tulips fill the whole little yard!

It is like a mini-field in Holland!

All they need is a windmill and some wooden shoes.

The Whimsy-est thing I saw today!

2008-05-16T09:46:00.005-05:00

Look at what I found at Drawn via Etsy:

Some genius in Korea is taking drawings made by children and turning them into real life photographs! And fashion, I might add!

I love it: The link to the Korean site via Drawn is not working and it is all in Korean, so I am afraid I cannot give all the credit where credit is doe, but I will when I find it!

Anyone speak Korean??

This is much related to shortsupply, an etsy seller who takes the drawings that her daughter makes and turns them into huggable dolls for Autism awareness:

The Politest Things I Saw Today

2008-05-12T20:54:00.003-05:00

Driving home across Wisconsin from visiting Green Bay we came upon some road construction.

We saw the usual signs and a little Wisconsin charm:

Thanks for the grin, Wisconsin Department of Transportation!

The Desperate Time-iest Thing I Saw Today

2008-05-08T12:59:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of foreclosed and abandoned houses in my neighborhood and around the country- unfortunately.

And people have been scrounging around for metals of value too, sometimes going so far as to break into construction sites and empty homes to cut out the copper pipes.

Sometimes the results are explosive.

The abandoned house that sits where I pick up the bus had this sign in the window:

I am not sure who hung it- the thieves who took the pipes or the bank that probably has ownership of the property. Maybe the people who lost the house took the pipes when they left?

Sigh.

The Landscaping-est thing I saw today!

2008-05-05T21:56:00.004-05:00

My darling friend and I were out and about Saturday. We ventured out of the city to White Bear Lake- Go Bears! (As in this Fargo scene.) Oh yeAH.

On our way back to the freeway, we spied this genius landscaping scene:

Treehorn Thug: [holding up a bowling ball] What the f--- is this?
The Dude: Obviously you're not a golfer.

So majestic! Those are my kind of bushes! Bowling bushes!

Do you think they drive one of these?:

It's got that Clear Coat. Ya know they put the Clear Coat on at the factory.

I'll bet you have a house like this in your town, I HOPE you do! What does it look like? Could you draw it? I'll post it!

The Lifting-est thing I saw today!

2008-05-01T20:38:00.003-05:00

Driving along, I was lucky enough to see this:

The Twiggiest Thing I Saw Today!

2008-04-21T22:41:00.007-05:00

Today the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Department of Forestry brought us a new tree for our boulevard!

It is a "Greenspire" Linden.

The old one caught some tree disease and was removed about a year ago. Great turn around City of Minneapolis!

It is pouring rain right now, I hope that helps it grow strong roots here!

I hope it likes the neighborhood. I hope it does not get spooked by the upcoming May Day Festival.

The MeMe-est thing I did today....

2008-04-20T18:20:00.015-05:00

I was tagged by the sassy MNMOM, who was tagged by another enjoyable blog friend Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein, with this little frequently visited websites MEME.

I decided, "What the heck! I could do this or fold some laundry.....but this helps promote lovely things so it should happen first."

My frequented blogs are on the right, of course I encourage you to check them out, but here are 5 non-blog places I visit pretty much all the time.

1. Etsy.com
So, I am addicted to this site and you can hear me put that on record somewhere else on the internets. (See me in all my grace at 4:51min into the vid) Some of my friends blame me for getting them addicted too, does that make me an etsy dealer?

I love what people make and I wish I could buy more. Instead I just scroll through and wish for things and also pass products on to my friends when I think they might like something.

Here are some things I have bought lately:
Skateboard necklace
Diamond Earings
Naughty Golden Retriever Puppet for my friend Nancy
Blankie Cape for a new baby in the family
Apron for the new big sister

2. emusic.com
This is where I go to download some indie rock n roll and other elements of the musical canon. It is $9.99 a month for 30 downloads. If you are interested I can "invite" you and you get a whole bunch free.

Anyway, I love music and the whole idea of independent labels so this is a cheap way for my to feed my rock and roll lifestyle and still have money for tickets to shows and things on etsy....

Albums I have downloaded lately:
The Mountain Goats
The New Pornographers
Bon Iver
Jeff Hanson
John Phillip Sousa's Greatest Hits
(The March KING!!! With The Minnesota March! I love marching bands, ok?! Here is me in marching band:

That's a huge white feather plume on top of a round helmet- HOT!)

3. Red Hot Pawn
My husband taught me how to play chess on our honeymoon last May. I am still learning...I have won 3 games total! I mainly play with a friend I met randomly on the site who lives in California. We became friends because somehow we came to a draw and I accidentally called him "honey" because I got his game confused with one I was playing with my husband.

Believe it or not, I have been "hit on" and talked to very inappropriately by people on the chess site! Now I only accept games from people I know. Let me know if you want to play chess. Inappropriate propositions can be left in this blog.

4. Scrabulous
I play when I can. There are some scrabble champs on there who are too cool to play a casual player like me.

5. Goodreads
Here I log the books I read and have read and want to read in the future. I also like seeing what my friends are reading and try to rally up new people for the book club I am in.

If you are on goodreads, let me know and I will check out your shelf!

(See, now that could be taken the wrong way, but I mean it in all literary good ways.)

The Public Serviest thing I saw today!

2008-04-16T20:08:00.007-05:00

I was down at the Mayo Clinic yesterday to see a relative. There we were, just a-waiting in the waiting room and in came one of my favorite Minnesota heroes:

Walter Mondale was being seen in the same office!

You know, the former Vice President to Jimmy Carter? The one portrayed as a janitor and the namesake of a laundry ship on The Simpsons?

Poor Fritz, he can't go to the doctors office without being gawked at and poorly drawn by his fans!

My relative is still down there and today the Dalai Lama was there for his check up. My family knows how to draw in the world leaders!

The Keystone Copiest Thing I Saw today: FINALE!

2008-04-14T20:23:00.006-05:00

And now, the dramatic conclusion of this rapid and comical airport pick-up:
Phew! I got scared at the end there!

And so ends my tale of the airport pick-up to end all airport pick-ups! It all took place over about 10 minutes or less. I wish I had the time to make a flip book or a claymation film about the events.

The Keystone Cop-iest Thing I Saw Today: Part 4

2008-04-09T20:47:00.003-05:00

And we're back!

This series really challenged my stick figure art ability. Two new people joined the scene. I was still watching all of this from my car waiting in the airport baggage claim pickup zone.

The final set is to come.

I hope they all did their stretches before this....

The Keystone Cop-iest Thing I Saw Today: Part 3

2008-04-06T21:59:00.004-05:00

Still going.....

This section of the action is the classic fight between man and machine. Can man overcome the power of the monster he created?More to come, with more new friends to meet!

The Keystone Cop-iest thing I saw today: Part 2

2008-04-04T11:44:00.002-05:00

Here is the second installment of the comical airport pick up I witnessed.

Enjoy and come back for the remainder of the shtick.

And awaaaaaaaay we go:

The Keystone Cop-iest thing I saw today

2008-04-03T13:27:00.009-05:00

I picked up my parents from the airport last night and I witnessed perhaps the most comical airport picture ever. I am going to draw it out for you comic style, frame by frame.

The scene was classic, think Keystone Cops or silent Laurel and Hardy. I watched it all from my car because he parked right in front of mine.

I suggest some Flight of the Bumblebee in the backgrounds you watch:

We begin with our hero arriving at the airport pick-up area and launching into his heroic task.

(click to enlarge)

The Plateau-iest Thing I saw Today

2008-03-31T23:14:00.005-05:00

At the parents' house the other week my Dad showed me a book he had found.

The book was untitled, but the author/illustrator was me!

Here is a page from the adventure I illustrated over 20 years ago :

As you can see, my drawing skills plateaued quite early on.

My handwriting has gone far downhill....

The Scariest Blog I saw Today.

2008-03-27T22:59:00.007-05:00

Today I have to lure you to another drawing blog that I have grown to love so much.

Monster Attack!

The blog is an ever growing collection of drawings by Eli, the 4 year old son of comic artist James Kochalka. James is a favorite of mine too.

Eli has quite the clever little mind and his drawings always bring my heart back to days of innocence and unbridled imagination.

I had thought about promoting him before, but todays' picture sealed the deal:

I dare you to find a better drawing of R2D2.

I DARE you!

Ok, wait, don't show me one, it will crush my spirit!

Instead:

All images swiped (saved and reloaded) from http://www.americanelf.com/comics/monsterattack.php

The Prince-iest Thing I Saw Today

2008-03-24T23:00:00.009-05:00

So the other day I was taking the bus to First Avenue to see Mike Doughty with my friend. My friend is cool. First Avenue is also cool and it was also where parts of Purple Rain were filmed.

Just imagine me standing on that floor with lots of eye makeup, ripped tank top and spiky bangs.

Anyways...this First Avenue fact is relevant because on the bus I saw:

(Sing it with me to the tune of The Replacements "Kiss Me on the Bus")

Prince Guy on the Bus!

PS: The "Kiss Me on the Bus" video is pretty entertaining if you have any remaining tolerance for 1980's nostalgia and enjoy community produced television in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Most Faithful Thing I Saw/Heard Today!

2008-03-23T22:07:00.012-05:00

Saturday I was at the grocery store in minding my own business browsing the meat department. The place was bustling with happy shoppers preparing for their Sunday feasts.

One shopper saw a friend and exclaimed with great delight:

This made me smile and it amused me a lot because, as you may know from A Prairie Home Companion, this just is not how Minnesota Lutherans behave.

Here is a list of are some true Minnesotan values (set to avoid making other people uncomfortable) that were broken in this scene :

1. No shouting in grocery stores.
2. Remain humble, do not make others jealous or bother others with your glee.
3. No shouting in grocery stores.
4. Do not parade your faith about town.
5. Both women are wearing a racy amount of lipstick.

Times they are a changin'.......ain't that right, very vocal former Minnesotan Bob Dylan?

**********************News Flash**********************

Creepy Pants Cats and this one bachelor Math teacher I had in 5th grade can rejoice and sing praises because their favorite pants have risen from the dead.

In the article you will find this gem:
"There really isn't anything like a family in matching Zubaz attire"

No, there really isn't.

Peeps on the web

2008-03-22T16:01:00.002-05:00

Well, my Peeps did not wion, but they were posted on the internet this time!

This year readers can vote on the pieces too......all 400 some entries. People are so creative and clever! I love it.

Here are some other peep dioramas:

Happy PI Day!!!

2008-03-14T14:07:00.002-05:00

Give a shout at 3:14pm!

Another Creepy Pants Cat!

2008-03-13T09:49:00.006-05:00

Last Friday I posted a couple of drawings between a friend and I that was probably a little too much of an inside joke, but we both drew what we imagined "AH! Creepy pants cats! LOL." was referring to.

I did get one submission from Starshrines:

Check it out, yo:

Remember the fairy tale Puss in Boots? I always found the illustrations a little creepy:

I mean, they were more like hip waders than boots. And hip waders are kind of like creepy pants. So here is my creepy pants cat!

So very true! I love this rendition of Puss in Boots. I hope it does not give your cat any ideas.

Although.....hip waders might be an interesting Project Runway challenge: "Fly Fishing Fashion".

The Plain Stupidest Thing I saw today.

2008-03-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

This incident occurred whilst I was transferring buses downtown on a lighty snowy day last week.

It was a gorgeous morning, cold, light glittery snow falling with the sun peaking out around the skyline.

Ah.

It was also hella slippery because there is ice everywhere hiding under that glittery snowfall.

I stopped at the lightrail tracks over to my waiting bus because the lightrail train was already dinging away at the station, calling out "Look out, I am a big train and I am moving now."

A young man who apparently does not speak lightrail train came rushing up behind me:

I literally screamed! He ran out right in front of that train to get to a bus that was waiting at a stoplight for the train to pass. I am sorry, but what a self-centered idiot!

In his leap to beat the train, he could have slipped and fell and really been clobbered by that train...or the train might not have been able to stop..wait...one should just ALWAYS assume that the train will not be able to stop!

PLUS, the guy got on a bus to the University, and at that time of day those buses come about once every 3 minutes.

After the train passed, I crossed the tracks and got on the same bus the guy got on. I stood in front of him in the aisle fuming. I could not decide what to say to him. I could have just said, "Good thing you risked your life and the mental health of that train driver to get on this bus that is still stuck at the friggin' stoplight!" or "You are a f-in idiot for running in front of a MOVING TRAIN!".

Of course, being a Minnesotan (see #6 at this link), I did not drudge up the courage to directly confront him before he hopped off on the West Bank campus. I really need to shake off that part of my Minnesotan-ness.

The Peepiest thing I made today!

2008-03-10T10:55:00.009-05:00

A local newspaper runs a contest where one can submit a diorama made of Peeps (or the bunnies, which are not really Peeps in my book, just a Peep subsidiary!) for review and prizes! the Washington Post started having the contest last year too.

My friend Sky and I have made an entry every year except last year (because I was getting married, I know: LAME!).

I am not linking to the newspaper because they have continually lost or not published our entries. I don't read that paper, I just enter their Peep contest hoping against hope for attention to our art and our freedom of expression.

Here is the entry I submitted for this year, The HandPeep's Tale:

(click to expand)

In this scene we find OfPeep heading towards a checkpoint with her shopping partner OfJustBorn. They are passing one the Wives tending to some flowers. Two Guardians of the Faith await them at the checkpoint.

Much thanks to Margaret Atwood and my awesome bookclub! Woot!

Here are our past entries:

Mount Choice-No-More: In recognition of South Dakota banning a woman's right to choose:

A nice Peep wedding:

And this was to Honor our then upcoming trip to Washington DC for the March for Women's Lives:

The creepiest pants cats I saw today!

2008-03-07T08:52:00.011-06:00

The Pariah and I did some imagining yesterday. It is fun to imagine.

You see, we both have the same "cat-a-day" calendar which I purchased on clearance from Target after the holidays. Together we enjoy some silly cats and our own commentary on the cats.

Yesterday, The Pariah was away from her calendar when I shot her an email that said"AH! Creepy pants cats! LOL."

Since The Pariah had to wait in great anticipation to see the creepy pants cats, she decided to venture a guess at what they looked like (click to enlarge):
And even though I KNEW what the creepy pants cats looked like, I drew my vision for them too:

What do you imagine the creepy pants cats look like???

If you want to draw your vision I will post them for you!

The Peace is hard workiest thing I saw today!

2008-02-27T22:47:00.005-06:00

I suppose witnessing the following scene was a eyebrow raising because of the momentary irony and how it made me think... HOWEVER before you read:

Please know that I respect Mothers and Fathers. I am not a parent. I cannot imagine how challenging it can be. I mean no disrespect.

For real.

Ok, back to the art.

I saw this woman publicly yelling at her daughter in that way that makes you uncomfortable for being nearby (and perhaps makes you flashback to some times when you drove your parents over the edge as a child).

Then I saw them get into the car depicted in the picture:

It was just a small reminder of how peace is a process with good days and bad days.

The Jammin'-est thing I saw 7 years ago!

2008-02-20T23:43:00.004-06:00

I was waiting for a bus in with my friend in LA (First off, no one seems to take the bus in LA and let me tell you, I have never felt more like I was out of place or more aware that we were both natural blond haired, blued-eyed Midwesterners than when I saw the reactions from the bus driver and the other passengers when the two of us got on that bus- people were pointing at us, smiling, and shaking their heads! I think the bus driver was tempted to tell us we should take a cab.) and we witnessed this man truly enjoying himself on his commute:

This guy had his radio blasting and his tambourine out rockin' along.

Brings a whole new level to enjoying drive-time radio!

Maybe he had to miss band practice, but I like to think that he really had the music in him!

The Oppegaardiest Thing I Saw Today

2008-02-19T20:23:00.004-06:00

Yes, another guest artist today!

My pal David Oppegaard drew this accurate picture of his home office a little while ago. I didn't have the sense to post it then, but now I have seeeeeeeen the light!

Plus, I wanted to direct your attention to a writing contest Dave is advancing in on Amazon.com. Ch-check out the segment of his novel if you need a laugh, and write a review if you have a chance!

Actually, the MAIN reason is that he has one of those great Scandinavian names with the double vowel thing. Hot.

In this scene, the artist, a writer by trade, depicts himself hard at work in his creative space. We see tinges of the common stereotypes of devoted authors and a really nice drawing of the cat, Opie.

This drawing was created soon after Oppegaard sealed his first publishing deal. His first novel, The Suicide Collectors, will be released by St. Martin's Press (this is the same publisher as Puzzle Master Will Shortz! Holy Moly!).

I have another of my drawings ready for tomorrow..that is if you still come back after I have shilled for my friend. I am really excited for him! Woot!

The Next Waviest Thing I saw Today

2008-02-13T22:53:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite things in life is what I call a "Bow Tie Doctor". This is, well, a doctor who wears a bow toe.

There is just something comforting, whimsical, and respectable about a physician sporting a bow tie.

I suppose people in other professions look nice in bow ties too, but when I see a lab coat paired with a bow tie I have to smile.

The other day I saw a young bow tie medical student!

I was thrilled to see this breed move forward.

I wonder if there is a "bow tie doctor" scholarship fund.....

The Cattiest thing our GUEST ARTIST saw today!

2008-02-12T19:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, we have a guest artist today! My chic friend the Pariah has tried her hand at drawing something that caught her eye. I was so thrilled to receive this from her and I hope you welcome her and her art.

The Pariah says:
When we were driving back from the purcell-cutts tour, we passed custom cat purrniture, the holy land for cat ladies, located on university avenue.

there was a happy couple walking out of the store, with a happy kitty perched on the shoulder of the gentleman. he had sturdy shoulders and the kitty seemed quite pleased with her perch, but being a concerned cat-man, he was securely holding kitty's leash in his other hand.

perhaps his shoulder was getting sore from all of the perching, and they were looking to invest in a custom cat furniture perch to substitute?

I think the Pariah is on to something there. I'll bet his co-workers are tired of the cat coming along to work everyday.

My cat is pretty jealous that she does not get to go shopping; but when I remind her that shopping involves getting in the car she pipes down.

Hooray and thanks Pariah!! I love that the sky is a hazy shade of winter!

If anyone thinks they can handle the pressure, I would be happy to have your contribution to this collection!

The May-December-est Thing I saw Today

2008-02-10T20:09:00.000-06:00

My darling and I attended a chic private gathering, the sort where people either pay to attend or else they are "with the artist". (We were "with the artist".)

I observed a couple conversations like this one:
So Woody Allen. So reminded me of my own denial about the way the world works.

The Truly Commited-est thing I saw today

2008-02-04T18:56:00.000-06:00

I work in and around a huge medical center that is laid out in a way that resembles a Jackson Pollack painting.

I saw a darling couple the other day trying to navigate around together. Truly together.

They were both struggling to walk and leaning on one another. They were both patiently discussing their next move. They were smiling despite the challenge and both laughed at their situation when I offered to help them.

They warmed my heart.

The Touche-est thing I saw today.

2008-02-03T16:03:00.000-06:00

'Round these parts it is common to see a car sporting a bumper sticker like this: That is a campaign bumper sticker for US Senator Paul Wellstone, a wonderful man. A man with the moxie and courage to change the world and to speak for those who were not being heard.

A man who died 6 years ago in a terrible plane crash days before the end of a heated election.

His passing left a huge void in the hearts of many Minnesotans. Some people still have his campaign yard sign in their yards, numerous buildings have been named (or re-named) in his honor and some put his legacy into action.

Recently I saw this take on/response to the "Wellstone!" bumper sticker:

I suppose they can mourn their heroes too.

Sigh.

The fashion over sense-siest thing I saw today

2008-02-02T15:37:00.000-06:00

I have to give my excuses for the delay. I just ended my job and started a new one! It has been a crazy January, but now it is February and I already have a stockpile of things to share!

This week has been a prime week for Minnesota winter weather. It was 43 degrees above zero on Monday and 42 below on with the wind chill on Wednesday. Everything melted and then turned to ice, ice, ice.....

This was me during this time(I was half indoors, so I did not need my scarf):

(Good advice, by the by.)

Of course some people refuse to give up their sense of style for the weather:

Some of us are better at sacrificing than others.

And yes, that is what color ones skin might turn when exposed to the -43 wind chill!

PS: Thanks for asking me back! So nice of you.

The Make-it-work-iest thing I saw today.

2008-01-08T09:10:00.000-06:00

My husband and I ventured out to the mall to see a movie the other week.

It was a Saturday night and it was lightly snowing. The snow sat maybe 5 flakes deep on the parking lot, so I guess people had trouble seeing the parking spot lines:

I am not even exaggerating. You could barely drive your car down the aisle....and I could still see the yellow lines through the snow!

People seem to think that even a little accumulation means we must all park like crazies!

Am I right, other people who live in places where it snows?

Anyway, as I wove through the lot looking for a place to park, I came upon this car, who's driver clearly got fed up with looking for a spot:

Frankly, I don't blame them.

The Flirtyest thing I saw today.

2008-01-07T12:11:00.000-06:00

Long time no see everyone! I hope your year is off to a good start.

I have a lot of things to share with you and I am working on more time to get them done.

Today I drew a picture of some attention that I got whilst I waited for the bus a couple weeks ago. It was a balmy 9 degrees outside and I was looking my best.

This guy literally drove back around the block to ask me TWICE.

Funny, I wasn't feeling at all attractive at the moment...I was more focused on keeping my nose warm without breathing on my scarf.

The Cat wanted to say something.

2007-12-20T14:02:00.000-06:00

I am working on my next post, but to bide some time, here is our cat Ginger decked out for the holidays:

Here are some gift ideas for Ginger and your kitty.

I hope your winter celebrations are going well!

The Twitchy-est thing I saw today.

2007-12-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

It is finals time on campus and students all over are "in the zone". Every nook around here is filled with some student sleeping, reading, crying or complaining about all the work they have left to do into their cell phone.

The other night I left work and saw this girl at a table ready for the long haul:

I'm getting the jitters just thinking about all that caffeine.

The Legally parked-iest thing I saw today!

2007-12-11T09:07:00.000-06:00

I apologize for my absence, I have been too wrapped up in work and school and my rock and roll lifestyle! Shame on me!

So as you know, economic times are hard and people are doing what they can to get by. In the alley behind my home we see people picking through the garbage and recycling everyday, looking for some metal treasures to trade in for money. There are all levels of scrap metal hunters, from people with a pick-up truck full of goodies to little old ladies with a little old lady grocery cart full of cans.

On my way in to work yesterday, I saw that one of these treasure hunters must of had an appointment downtown:
I wish I has been walking to see if their meter needed to be fed, I would have hooked them up.

The Sharp Dressed Man-iest thing I saw today

2007-11-14T12:26:00.001-06:00

I ride the bus to work and I mostly take express buses full of people going to and from work or school at the University where I work. People are usually dressed pretty casual, as opposed to looking "corporate". I suppose the "corporate looking" people don't take the bus to campus.

However, there is one guy who has the corporate spirit!

He carries a briefcase and flies off the bus into a hurried walk down the street AWAY from campus. He walks like he is very important and cannot be slowed for anything. I have wondered (and have heard fellow passengers wonder to each other) "Where is that guy going? Why is always rushing?".

He even has an "important guy" build- broad shoulders, tiny waist, slight tan, sharp haircut, the "important looking" glasses.

Of course he always dresses for success...or tries to anyway.

He has multiple ill-fitting solid colored suits made of synthetic fibers, which apparently come with matching ties. He has lots of synthetic fiber colored shirts too, so he can mix things up.

I have also wondered (and have heard fellow passengers wonder to each other), "Where does he buy those awful suits?".

The Doodlingest thing I saw today.

2007-11-06T15:32:00.000-06:00

Turns out I am not the only artist out there using paint to express what I witness in reality:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/alb/452732709.html

This is from the "Best of Craigslist". I should warn you that there are drawings of fruit replacing some NSFW images.

Their grammar could use some work but overall I am very impressed.

The new bloggiest thing I saw today.

2007-11-05T10:29:00.000-06:00

My beloved has started a new blog where you can vote on one of society's most pressing questions:

Cool or Tool?

Ok, I know, I know, I am shameless. I just love polls and voting so much!!

Oh, and I love my spouse too!

The Hands-free-est thing I saw today.

2007-11-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

I am not sure if I have mentioned it here before, but Minneapolis has a large East African immigrant population. Related to this there is high number of Muslims and most evident are the Muslim women wearing hijabs and long flowing skirts.

I had been wanting to post about some of the clever things I see these women doing to complete daily activities wearing all this fabric. For example, I see women running on the treadmill at the gym dressed like this. Awesome! There I am looking for excuses to avoid the treadmill and they are running with their bodies totally covered in layers of fabric!

I think it is a fine example of how inventive and adaptable people can be.

My favorite is how I have seen many women use their hijab as a hands-free device for their cell phone. I had been putting off drawing this until last night, when I saw a woman dressed in the PERFECT fabric for this blog:

A cell phone skirt. Fantastic! I had no idea this was even available, but it makes complete sense to me now.

I am so glad I held off on drawing that.