Comparison

Just for the record: I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite. It really depends on my mood and the weather. Apples are easier to eat on the go since they don't have to be peeled, but you've still got the core to dispose of (which isn't too hard). You can simply eat the whole thing, of course. I've done that a couple times, minus the stem. But if I'm going to eat the core I usually prefer just the part in the middle, with the seeds. Some apple seeds are actually pretty good, and taste very...apple-y. I assume there's some additional nutrition in there. Some cores are a little husky though. While oranges do have to be peeled, you can't deny their packaging is also a plus. You don't have to wash the fruit itself, and it is kept safe while rolling around the floor of your car or across the ground or, in rare cases, dropped into a goat's pen. It's fun to eat the sections of an orange or tangerine. Navel oranges also come with a bonus baby orange on one end. Can apples do that? I don't think so. Then again, you can't make very good pie with an orange. Or cobbler.

...I better stop now.

Tree House

Well it's not very detailed, but hey. When I think of a tree house, I think of Swiss Family Robinson. Now THAT is a tree house. I always liked touring the full scale one at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Mug

I didn't know what to draw so I drew the mug that is sitting nearby. I drink water from it 99% of the time, but since it is a holiday mug, it looks best with something hot and steamy/creamy/frothy inside. I've also eaten cereal out of it. ;)

Storm Chaser

When we were kids we used to try to catch wind by holding pieces of cardboard over our heads as a storm rolled in. We would run and jump with the gusts. It was hard to hold on, but it did make us jump farther. Anything to feel like flying.
Hope everyone's safe during the hurricane.

Snow Lodge

Our intrepid explorer trudges through a snowy forest, hunched against the chill of a seemingly eternal dusk. Ahead, she spies the warm glow of lights from a mountain lodge. She can almost smell the aroma of hot chocolate and spicy apple cider waiting beside a crackling fireplace....

Unicorn Pegasus

Sometimes I like sketches better than finished drawings.

Goin' out for a hike today. I just need to get away from things. One of those emo trips, you know.

Goin' Underground

A bit extreme, perhaps, but I wouldn't mind at least having a garden. When you live in an apartment, your options are limited.

Alternate ending:

Or maybe there's a dude down there pushing a button, like in Lost. Better yet, how about giant crystals and mushrooms and reptiles. Journey to the Center of the Earth fueled many a childhood fantasy. (Oh, and I just remembered Land of the Lost too, haha.)

Snowglobe

Just a quickie.

My brother Kyle returned recently from his YWAM mission trip, with a bunch of awesome stories. Sometimes I think I'd rather live in a poor little community in a third world country, where life isn't so buried under stuff. I'm not a Luddite or anti-American, but there's something different there, in that lifestyle. Of course, one can still make choices here that will lead down that road. And there are orphans and widows who need help no matter where you live.

Whisp Mountains

Going bike riding. Running late, gotta go!

Donkephant

Haven't done one of these in a while. I figured I would take the Republican and Democratic party mascots and make them work together for once.

I think I hate political discussions, with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I'm registered as a Republican, but it really just comes down to voting your values. There are Republicans that stand for bad things and there are Democrats that stand for good things. I like to say that I don't want to be associated with either party, but my feathers do get ruffled more when Reps are badmouthed as opposed to Dems. Reps generally stand for things that I believe in. Regardless, I have never been able to justify supporting someone who doesn't stand for life (one issue voter alert!), and, like someone once said, if they can't clearly see the first big letter on the eye chart, what does the rest of it matter. I know civil and religious laws must be kept separate in a world that doesn't believe in absolute morals, but when it comes to voting people into office I've gotta go with pleasing God rather than man. (Speaking of one issue voters, how many people vote for the issue of money, or for more personal selfish freedom?) And that's all I'll say about that. I hate it when guys all sit down and blow two or three hours away "solving" the problems of the nation. I'd rather go listen to women talk about interior design. Better yet, I'd rather listen to kids talk about important things such as their favorite breakfast cereal or what animals they're going to ride in Heaven.

Religion is the same way. Except with religious discussions (which happen more often in my mind than in real life) I sometimes feel that maybe I don't speak up enough. On the one hand, there's speaking in love and not purposely offending others, which I strive for. On the other hand, there's being ashamed of the Gospel, which I sure don't want to do. Staying silent can be a wise decision...if it isn't out of fear. It stinks to have people think you're an idiot for believing in God's truth, but it stinks more to think you covered up the Name that you bear. Take heart, Jesus said; they hated him first.

I hate works-based religions that lead to an eternity of separation from God. But I love people. I think that if I humble myself and obey the Lord in my own life--rather than worrying whether or not I'm living "correctly" as a Christian--then my interactions with everyone else should come naturally. Haven't I said this before...? Hm, reminders are important.

My favorite breakfast cereal...that's a toughie. Probably anything that includes honey-glazed flakes and almond slivers and little dried fruits and granola.

Dramatic Lunch

Make it exciting, right?

Barnyard Mishap

Oops!

Barnyard Nap

Going paddling today. It's a little on the cool side; more incentive not to roll. :)

Treasure-trove

Today I'm giving a couple of rides to someone I know from my old job, in return for some moolah. I take what I can get!

Yummers

heehee

Another Spider

I can kill 'em if required, but Heaven help me if they ever get on my person.

Opinions

This doesn't refer to anything specific exactly, but I had a couple subjects in mind. What happens is I go online and start reading comments from fine young people on forums (college age like to blast their thoughts the loudest), both Christian and otherwise, and I start getting annoyed by all the wasted words and attitudes.

"I'm going to disregard your entire intelligently presented post by calling it your opinion."
"All our opinions are valid; believe in whatever works for you, man. (unless it crosses my path)"

But I think people hold tenaciously to many things they don't actually believe. Because they want it their way. I do that myself. So, I should extend grace to others. Personally, my biggest beliefs are things which I can't deny. I don't necessarily want to believe in something that takes extra effort from me and requires me to deny myself and surrender my time and authority, but I can't deny that that is the only right course to take. When Jesus' words have a %100 track record in life, I can't deny them. I don't want to believe I can overcome fear; it would be easier to say I'm biologically broken and just pop some pills and not have to suffer the shame of defeat over and over, but I can't honestly believe that. And why would I want to voluntarily avert my eyes from "hot" women? To be self-righteous? Yeah right! I'm not that righteous. I don't do it just for some ideal. Still, I listen to how convincingly some people stand by their opinions, and I wonder how they got so comfortable in those thoughts that they seem indifferent to any other. Or are they really that comfortable? I guess only they know.

Anyway, for all the crazy opinions out there, there are plenty of decent ones as well. If I can't take comfort in those then I need to head out into the woods for a long walk!

Cave Ruins

Well, my old pen tablet doesn't work the same on my new computer. It didn't work at all after the initial installation, so I performed an update for Windows 7 and downloaded the latest driver from my tablet's website. Then it worked, but was laggy. Plus, if I held the pen down on the tablet for more than a split second it would bring up a right-click menu. I don't even know why that would be an option unless you're using the pen as a mouse. (There's a specific button on the pen for right-clicking, which I rarely use.) So I fiddled with every option I could and got rid of that annoying feature, and also the lag. Not sure how I accomplished the latter. Now it's pretty good, except there's no pressure sensitivity (grrr!) but I can live with that. It just means every line will be of uniform thickness. If I were a super amazing artist working in an expensive program, it would be a major deal breaker. Also, in Photoshop when I draw quick, short lines it sometimes adds a connecting line in between them. No idea why, and I'm tired of reading forums. I shall draw slower and spam the undo command. The fingers of my right hand stay on ctrl+z the entire time anyway. ;)

Victor 3

Victor 2

Such danger!

Victor the Mouse

I have one more comic to share from the olden days. I think I'll do this in three updates, while I'm getting used to my new laptop and making sure the graphics tablet is working right on it. (Kinda funny to be talking about getting a new lappy after the last post, but the two events occurred without knowledge of each other. Plus, my old one was on its last leg. That makes it a need, right? Yeaaaah.... ^^)

Anyway, let the slapstick rodent adventures commence:

Corrugated Community + GOOD NEWS

For a long time I've had the fear that one day I'll end up a homeless bum. I'm sure that sounds ridiculous to a lot of people (including me), but nevertheless it stays at the back of my mind. I even used to fantasize about it when I was feeling really sorry for myself. Like, "What do you think of me now, everyone? I told you I was no good!" Not exactly Philippians 4 material.

I recently lost more money (invested) than I've made in the last two and a half years since quitting my normal job. Way, way more. But then, I haven't made diddly in self-employment. I really wanted that to work, but maybe it's not what is best for me. I wanted it to work because I would be able to hide comfortably at home and not deal with all the pressures I experienced in my former job that made me wish I was dead every other night. But I guess hiding isn't going to get me anywhere. It's just that...sometimes I step out the door and I feel like I haven't made any progress whatsoever, and never will. I feel kinda sick about losing the money, but it's just a temporary value in this world. I can get over it. What's worse is the feeling that I'm incapable of seeking/finding/landing a job like any normal human dude should be able to. If I can't do that then I can never do all the other normal things that dudes do in life. Alright, enough of that. Any more and I'll be praising the devil. This is not a pity post; I'm okay. I just had to get out the bad news before getting to the--

GOOD NEWS!
Last night I finished writing a story I've been working on for a long while.

*crickets*

Okay, so it's not earth-shattering or anything, but to me it's a big deal. One of my goals in life was to finish writing what I considered to be a decent story, and maybe get it published. I don't have much faith in the latter part (although I could self-publish if I absolutely wanted), but just finishing the thing is goal enough for me. I've been working on it for close to three years, even though it's only novella size. I procrastinate and have trouble finishing things of a creative nature if they look too daunting to me.

The story itself is only decent, I'm sure. I'm proud of certain sections, but other sections are embarrassing to look back on and need some help. In fact, it's probably all boring, but I don't care. It's done! There's no major danger, you can see the reveals coming from a mile off, and the romance (oh yes) is sappy and cheesy. The title is My Hero, the Janitor. It's about a maintenance worker at a toy factory who learns, along with all his fellow employees, that their yearly bonus has been replaced by a novelty item this year, despite higher than average revenue for the company. Something smells fishy, and he aims to find out why. Along the way, he must deal with repeated put-downs from an arrogant executive, and work through his fondness for the receptionist at the front desk. Also, it takes place on an island. Because islands make for good stories.

Moonlight

and we all must feel the same
as we look up to a world that never ends
it's hard to think that this is all coincidence
'cause in the darkness we need light to find our way
-That's Why God Made the Moon, John Elefante

Waterfall

Whooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhh

Sir Punch-a-lot

And now he is Sir Huggington.

Furry Thing

I helped move two stoves yesterday. You never know what you're going to do when you help out at a small print shop. ;)

Lots of things happening in the world. Sometimes I feel guilty, minding my own life in the safe and sunny little pinpoint of land I inhabit. People are in a war or grieving over lost loved ones while I'm enjoying whatever show or movie I feel like watching. Yet, I'm here and they're there, and there's nothing I can do but pray for them. The only thing to feel guilty about is if I'm seriously wasting my time and blessings, or if I don't care what happens to others.

Charity is something that can be wrongly motivated by guilt. I love to give to an organization like Compassion International, where I know kids are getting the help they need. I've given for disaster relief too, and sometimes I think part of it was to "pay off" that feeling of guilt at being in a better position than the victims. Not that I didn't care--and still do--for them, but I can't deny that at least a small part of it was to ease my mind, so I could get back to whatever pleasant thing I wanted to do.

Just a thought after reading some news headlines. News can be depressing, but we ought not to be depressed by it. We should be sober. With a healthy dollop of happiness.

Panda

The rest of the adventure, which simply involves running from one danger to the next. As he narrates his own plight. ;)

There's that dark shading to cover up a drawing error again, heheh.

Remember Gak? That slimy puddy stuff that came in a plastic egg?

All's well that ends well.