... the weasel has left the building

... hi everyone. this blog is officially dead. you can see a new me @ http://trendesignsnw.com/blog/ if you'd care to continue reading about me, laughing with me, questioning with me and more. if not, well... i fully understand. i'm not even sure i'd follow myself around to be honest, and i know my shadow isn't always thrilled about it.

so, update yer links if yer so inspired. on the new site you can even subscribe to my RSS feed so yer sure to never miss a beat in my exciting life. honest. i expect maybe 1-3 entries a month. my gods i'm on fire.

'nuff said.
~ peace, love and puppy dawgs all.. i'm out.

... whad'joo do this weekend?

... i looked at houses and houses and houses and houses! found a coupla' contenders too! went with a laaaady-friend of mine too who made it all the more fun. we had a blast in fact. we sorted the houses based on what looked good, called the agents to try & get in, GPS'd our way around, saw some ghetto places and some really nice places. (nice place below) overall, it was a tiring yet worthwhile adventure! i'm doing number-crunching now to see what i can really afford and all that jazz... who knows what the future holds!

she even protected me when a bug got on my dashboard and freaked me out.

(gawds, bugs freak me out)

so, aside from buggies attacking my car, it's fun looking for a place. i'm in the ultimate position of being a buyer w/no contingencies and the ability to move on a home now now now! wish me luck on my hunt!

... and then there were lights

... my goodness peoplz this has been a month to remember already. storms caused flooding in offices in my area, entire roads washed away, people (me included) stranded on highways for 2+ hours when attempting only to travel 1.5 miles HOME, our company moved from it's original site of 15+ years to it's new one on HIGHER ground thankfully as the rains came flooding & rushing in and more!

on another note, likely NO Fuzziechadsrule vote this week... sorry my dear friends, but i'm too busy and don't have the time to dedicate to you all the hours (ahem) it takes to slave over (15 minutes or less) the pictures and tirelessly write (add +- 3 minutes) the witty remarks per entry and upload them (under 1 minute)

so, as you can see, it's jes' too demanding (coulda posted there instead of here by the time i'm done with this entry) and i need to take a brief respite until next week.

on another another note, i got my christmas tree up. took about as long as this entry took to write, and yesh.... camera shots are blurry... call it artistic merit, damnit... (couldn't find my tripod) LAST PIC is a schweeeet sunset i recently witnessed.

ode to a once, proud new toy

... dearest duckie, you led a brief life of joy, squeaks and sqwocks. you made mah doggeh smile, romp, stomp, wheel and wiggle.

you broke a votive holders, when soaring through the air unannounced, even marked the wall with your winged trail of dog slime... and yet, you will be missed. you fell victim to "foul" play, gutted of stuffing long before your time. it's sad really, it's really got me "down."

my dearest maddie lurved you so... and tho you lasted a mere 3-4 days, which we all know in dog years is so many more, we'll add a feather to our proverbial "cap" of other fallen toys and their memories, tho few shall be so sweet.

need proof of teh four-legged one's passion toward you?, and how she longed to share your webbed-goodness with others? view on, little duckie... view.... on.

... what to say

... is often a mystery to me. i often get so wrapped up in what's happening in my life, whether personal things, work or whatever, that i forget to reach out to you all to say hello! i know, i've been bad. here... slap mah' hand. soooo, what's been happening in my world? here's some details about one of the most annoying things i'm dealing with. it keeps me up at night... it really does.

my downstairs neighbors are a**holes. they've complained more than once about my dog who, while she's not a barker, apparently walks. this walking and subsequent walking sound has drastically effected the beforementioned a**hole's sleeping schedule and overall quality of life. i've now become paranoid in my own rental home. i actually find myself tip-toeing around the damned place. i even snapped at my sweet baboo, maddie, for running down the hall with a toy in her mouth. omgi'mahorribleperson. did i mention that she ran down the hallway 'cuz she was happy i was home and then got yelled at for being that happy doggers? i'm scum. oh, and the once-again beforementioned a**holes have a little demon of a new baby that screams and cries into all hours of the AM. this very frustrated and annoyed at apartment living person hasn't filed a complaint about the demon-child once...

due to the issues mentioned above, i'm beginning to look into property. i'm considering purchasing a house that once again, is near my office and would offer amendities such as: no a**holes bitchin' about walking dogs, no apartment managers telling me what a horrible dog i own due to her unacceptable walking behaviour, and actual garbage and recycle cans of my own picked up weekly (or whatever) so i don't have to lug plastic bags down into my car and then 4 blocks away to the "community drop off" bin that reeks of puke, other foul things and unmentionables.

breaking a lease is a bitch. fees, occasionally credit dings, and more truly do effect the "fun involved" in telling all these apartment-based dwellers where they can stick it. they actually and truly do stick it to you in the long run. sooooooo, this has caused me simply to do some intelligent long-range thinking (different from free-range, 'cuz that's chicken) about how long it would take me to raise/save the 10+% needed to invest in a new home. between bonuses, eating crackers and my base wage, i could possibly do it within 6months or so.... so it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilites.

thoughts anyone? comments on what a babbling psychopath i am? advice? fanz of free-range chickens? do share.

... i'm ready for my closeup

... yah, okay not really. hello to you all, hope everyone's well. i was extremely flattered when jes' the other week brought me news that a friend wanted to purchase some of my photography for his home. i rarely do this, as far as sell my work, but he was adament, and offered up the challenge that i should pursue more opportunities to brighten other people's available wall-space.

so.... while i'm almost embarrassed about this, i'm a tad proud and wanna share to all and any of you. If anyone who either wants to add some goodness to a blank wall in an office, home or whatever - please consider giving my photos a consideration. i feel they would make great gifts as well... but who am i to judge. (*cough-biased-cough*)

click on the image to visit my photography! framed or original prints, it's your choice! ... and please, know that i'm not expecting anyone to purchase this stuff... i mainly think it's super cooh. (note there's a new sidebar link too!)

... one of those days

... this week needs to end soon.

... fish onna stick

... i'm back peoplz! hope you all are well. i wanted to write you all and say hello and of course share some of my pictures of a recent adventure i had with my belurved' father-o-mine.

we jes' got back from a week in kentucky area (we'll call it the williamsburg vicinity) where we spent a good couple of days being fooled by the fish at conley bottom lake. my father has asked me months back if i was interested in spending some quality time being teased, poked at, joshed with, fed well and see some scenery with a friend of his that he knew wayyyyy back in his college days at Indiana University. he later ended up living near his friend and actually hiring him as they both began their careers in higher education. they spent many hours of every possible day fishing and bonding back in the day when they were supposed to be fathering newly born children and more... so this was bound to be a treat. except for a time in 2002 when my parents visited them on a different trip, they hadn't seen each other and barely even communicated for over 35 years!

naturally i said yesh... i mean, how could i not? i already received all of the above, so why not change the scenery a bit too, eh? we had an absolute blast! the kentucky heat made it a bit impossible to catch any small or largemouth bass or crappie's (pronounced "croppie" for you non-fishers) but it was fun non-the-less. pics to follow have some headers to read and enjoy... glad to be back, but not glad to be back to over 4000 emails and work drama! ho hum! the battle continues!

old fishermen and an old dock... you judge who's more weathered! (my father's the good lookin' one in back)

nothing like gorgeous picture opportunities and good rusty stuff to look at!

if the first one is barely a refrigerator magnet in size, try again! (biggest i snagged was 16 inches +)

we shore' ate good.... (meh) but scenes like this @ cumberland falls national park made up for it!

kentucky's vistas catch your breath, and so does seeing the kentucky down's raceway! (where's seabiscuit!?)

... what kinda bait you got there?

... likely gonna hear that a few times. i'm taking a trip next week with my father. so, to make a long story short, we'll either have a really great time fishing in kentucky with some of his "college chums from back in the day," or it'll end up like some of the more crude scenes in "deliverance..."

... here's to hoping either scenario ends up as "catch 'n release."

... this jes' in

... for all of you who wonder why i don't often post here, or post much of any real "meat" or "value," i give you this:
what the HELL is happening to Christina Ricci's head?



oh, and apparantly other crazy cat's are readying for battle too... *giggle*



i have nothing else intelligent to say... ;)

... my friends are special

... i lurve my friend sarcomical ah-lawt. she's soooo funneh... and my gods did she jes' explain why this week's off balance for a lot of us apparently. her recent post explains why floods happen, why there's famine, disease, and well.. people allowed to do REALLY STOOPID THINGS. sarcomical is magical, peoplz. trust me.

click here to see her "creative commenting" on a certain someone ending her career. it made me smile.

she also happens to be an INCREDIBLE photographer... so bookmark her, demand she be your friend, and make sure you compliment all of her puppehs!

... fuzzie memories

... are so bittersweet. best remembered with a smile and maybe a tear in one's eye, fer sure. i was thinking this morning on my brief commute to the office about pets. i feel sorry and almost pity for those people out there who have never owned a pet. there's often such a bond, a love and a special connection formed between a lowly human and their "pedestal'd" pet that is undeniably real.

my maddie-dawg, while i tease her, call her silly names and complain in general about her is simply and paws-itively the best pet i've ever had the privilege of sharing time with. she looks at me with those big brown eyes (scooooop my poooooop) and i swear she's telling me (feeeed me) that she's jes' as happy to be with me (ruuuuub mah' belllllie) as i am with her.

most of you know that J and i, while still together, lost our rotund & dearest "fuzzie son" Chase, (a.k.a. mr puddins) months back. that was so completely and absolutely horrible for us both. mainly because Chase proved to be so...well.. almost human with his affection. he LIVED for hugs, would hug back, snuggled (totally spooned) J's head when she slept, took over your lap when he could, adored us, and ONLY wanted to be pet/snoogled/loved 24/7. losing him was like losing a limb. so now, J has "our 2" remaining cats, Cleo and Chewie... and i have Maddie.

when thinking about how Chase effected my life, i suddenly was overwhelmed with grief and recalled my dearest first kittenz, Dewey... i don't believe i've ever shown any of you my first cat, Dewey. she earned that name when she first looked at me with those big eyes that said, "love me." omgoodness she was jes' as loveable in return!!! she was a russian blue, had a painfully high squeak of a mew and loved to partake in drive-by rubs, tail all-a-whippin', and had a permanent love affair with sunbeams. she would kneed on me anytime she could too... of course, only when sunbeams weren't aplenty.... Dewey fell sick years back, and an unbeknownst asthma attack that caused upper-respitory failure took her from our arms within 24 hours. we were stunned and shocked into submission.

why do we all do this? succumb to teeny animals, care for them, love them and yet are forced to hope they survive for-ev-ah while they just.. don't!? i gotta tell ya, i'm reduced to almost-tears when thinking about someday losing my dog. i'm not sure what i'd do! she's occupied such a huge place in my heart for 6 years now.... how would i fill that gap!?

i know how... there'd likely be a puppy out there for me... a new friend... a new loyal companion, and damnit, i'd do it all again.

... how to end a week right

... wif' a leetle bit of hammie-tunes. (for the record, the owner of this sweet lil' hammers needs to possibly be pummeled for distracting 'eez leetle friend from a 'eez poppycorn eatin' bliss... enjoy yer weekend, peoplz!

... that's jes' how 'dis weezer rolls

... well, at least it's how i rolled back into town. quietly, discretely, and although jack caught my tail, most of you remained unaware.. bwa ha hah ahahaaaa! yesh, i'm evil. i said it, but you all still put up with me, so there.

i'm going to post some random pics-o-goodness (purchased a new 10.3 megapixel Nikon D40x Digital SLR camera) from my trip across the country... and really, that's about it. while i do tend to post some personal stuff on this site - well - this trip was for me and me alone. i had some wondrous times driving 26+ hours straight, and while i would've liked to stop more along the way, i had a brain flush that was much needed. i'm sure as hell not cured yet, but i saved myself from having a meltdown at the office and in my personal life. flight instincts can't be all bad when they protect those you care about around you.

i thought a lot, reflected a lot, yelled a lot, wondered a lot, planned a lot, even cried a lot... and oh yesh, drove a helluva lot too. overall, the trip was very cleansing... i snapped some shots too, that you all may enjoy from misc. places around the country. i drove through WA, ID, MO, ND, SD, IA, IL, WI, MI and finally had to return. (work demands and other stuff) i may write more about my journey, but as beforementioned - it was for me and personal - so.... thanks to those who've welcomed me back.

i missed you all terribly. here's some pics for you to enjoy. click to view larger.

(first pic is a collage of some really sharp butterfly pics i was able to capture, and 4th picture has a mystery FROGGIE in it, can you find it?)

... when's a sign a sign?

... i dunno friends, i jes' dunno anymore. some of you have commented to me either online thru various resources or email that i've been distant. well.. yesh. i have. as beforementioned in other entries - at times i jes' don't have anything to say. guilty as charged. i'm going away tho for a bit, but fear not; i'll post next week's fuzziechadsrule's three contestants on friday so you can all still vote next week and carry on the tradition.

in the meantime, you all stay wonderful, cooh and ever-so-damned sweet as you've all been to me. means a lot.

... getcher wiener, right here

... omgoodness everyone! what WERE you thinking!? this is a family show! many of you have emailed me asking when i'll get off my tuckus and start creating on my 3rd (yesh, 3d, i know...) blog, somethinsketchy; well, it has sorta kinda maybe possibly begun!

i recently purchased a 12"x19" Wacom tablet. it's a seriously incredible device that allows you literally draw/paint/airbrush/brush directly onto the surface as if it were real... (ooooh, exited shudder) the surface, being so large, allows a artist like yours truly to make everything from a broad brush stroke to a tiny lil' daub of paint on a canvas texture... basically, it RULZ.

so... to treat you all, since my frame of mind lately can only be described as chaotic, i decided to do a test run and show you all my wiener. enjoy.

... 'dere's a gator on yer butt

... since a dear friend of mine recently posted about her growing excitement over halloween this year and her connundrum of "the best outfit to wear;" well, i figured it'd be best to share something i found which could only be surmised in one simple sentence...

"dis' is the bestest puppers halloween costume ev-ah!"

yeah, i know it's for the dawgs, and not 'da peoplz, but holy hell people i had flavored water shoot outta my nose when i saw this.

... vroom vroooom vroom

...since you all were cooh and said, "yesh, show me your new car goodness;" well... here you go. i got myself a saturn VUE SUV Hybrid! i'll spare you all the eco speeches about fossil fuels and humankind's eventual destruction and simply say that it's PIMPIN!

pics are from my cell, so sorry they're not stellar, but DAMN the drive is! i'm averaging about 27-34 miles a gallon, and considering i used to get 14 mpg with my hyundai sante fe SUV prior to... i'm a happy camper. it's a good fit, ergonomic seats (wif' bun warmers!) and easy flip down seats for TONS o' storage, room for puppers and camping gear, etc!

i'm pretty stoked to say the least! if anyone looks into an SUV that is a hybrid, i'd give ya' my recommendation for this one. i drove 3 other brand/models and went with this badboy due to handling, features, design and yesh - price.

anyhoo... jes' had to share. hope you all have a great week.