Updates and Good News All Around

Hello friends! Sorry for the couple weeks of silence but I wanted to sort of put my head to the grindstone and get things done around Castle Adam. There's tons of new things to discuss and some cool pics to show off. Let's get started!

First off, I got another new job! I will now be working at TWO graphic design outlets. One in the morning, one at night. So officially after this week, I am retiring from register based customer service. And it couldn't come sooner! I've jocked registers since I was 16. And when I found myself up shit creek earlier this year, its the first place I turned to. I had to because my resume looked like Dresden, but also because it was comfortable and familiar. But slowly I got this sinking feeling that I have grown beyond basic customer service. The gripes and drunks got more and more annoying and the crazy hours they wanted just was too much on my plate. Also I was repeatedly treated like crap and like I ultimately didn't matter. But I survived and kept applying and finally found two places to call home, where my skills can be used and in an adult fashion. I am beyond thrilled and excited for the opportunities both of these jobs present me. Its in my field of art and both are going to expand my knowledge into the next phase.

Of course, with this I lose my overnight job where I was able to work on comic pages. So that will present a challenge. I will need to fight for extra time to get page work in. So I will have to be very choosy when it comes to commission work for a while. Good thing I am about 3/4ths done on STARSLAM 2 art! I am gonna bust ass all this week on that book and the new Star Wars card set I am on in an effort to stay ahead of the game. No dilly-dallying around. This week is nothing but hardcore work! I'm fighting to stay on schedule here! So expect no delays.

This weekend was a special one beyond it being Labor Day weekend. I got my oldest son Cody for a nice long visit. I hadn't seen him in months due to many factors but I hope I made up for it. I got him things for school and we even went to a video game convention called RANDOM BATTLE CON. There we played a few cool games but the best was this game called NIDHOGG. I love it. Here's father and son at the gaming con (photo courtesy of Joe at migeekscene.com)

The dude is 6"1"!!!! How did he shoot up that tall? I have no idea. But anyway we had a great weekend and I am glad to have spent more time with him this week. He starts his Sophomore year in high school (GAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!) and he is studying hard to get college classes done early and go into Video Game developing. We're planning a trip to PAX maybe next year or the year after so he can soak up some more of that world. Least I can do to help him set out on the path he wants to go on. I'm looking forward to it.

I spent some time with my girl too as we both have been working lots of hours and only see each other in passing. We hit the beach and then some nice breakfast at our favorite spot: GOLDEN HARVEST!

OUCH! The sun hurts my pure white skin!!

Being at the beach rocks. 

BACON GALORE at the Golden Harvest! 

I can never get tired of this place! (Turner St in Old Town Lansing. GO THERE!) 

I also spent a few hours with my pal Dean and we watched some MST3K. It was a much needed weekend of laughs and relaxing. I've really been working super hard for the last few months and I deserved a break. This week I end my career as a cashier and begin next week at the two graphics places. Sundays with my boys. They start school today as well. I'm thrilled at the changing of the seasons and times are advancing. Things are happening. It feels good!

IT's FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!! The Lions are looking good. I gotta get an antenna for my TV as we don't have cable at home. Sundays will be football and being with my boys. I can't wait!

Don't forget! October 16-18th, I will be at Grand Rapids Comic Con in artist alley. I will be premiering all my new 11x17 prints at the show. If you want to score them early, go to THE RECORD LOUNGE in East Lansing, MI to buy them from there and support my vinyl habit! Hopefully in October my Kickstarter for STARSLAM 2 will launch as planned. But more on that later. Let me get it done first!

There are many other things buzzing in my life but thats all I can think of right now. Thanks for reading my update and I hope you guys have a good week. I'll come back soon to let you know more about the new job and more Starslam 2 goodness. But for now, its time to put my head back down to the grindstone and get this shit done!

Cheers, T

Disconnected...

Hey all. Its been a so-so week. Not nearly as productive as I wanted it to be. I only worked maybe one or two days on cards and coloring. For the most part I have been nursing my health. There's something wrong with me and I am not sure what it is. For a while now, I've had these slight "light-headed/dizzy spells." They come and go in a mere second and they sort of knock me off slightly, enough that I can get ill. Vertigo to a sense, but it has caused many other things to me such as much worry and even anxiety attacks. I have been actually suffering anxiety attacks when I am alone. Alone at the night job and alone at home while the wife is away. Mostly fear that there is something greater wrong with me and I am alone with the kids. But that is an irrational fear.

I want you to know that I greatly despise doctors. I know way too many people who have been misdiagnosed and even lost their lives at points because of it. However I do feel it is necessary to get your engines checked from time to time. Especially since my age has got to the point where yearly checkups might be a good idea. I wanted to avoid it while I was transitioning from morbid obesity down to being just a simple fat guy. I've went from 373 pounds to 343 pounds in three months. I've quit soda and have made better decisions as to my eating habits. Daily fruits, etc. But still, this problem remains. I still feel slightly "off." Like when you hear a song you've heard a million times but theres a guitar part missing, or the drum beat is 1/4th a second off all the sudden. Just disconnected. Its hard to explain. I'm having daily dizzy spells and even driving is becoming a problem. I went to the store today feeling really good and energetic, only to return sick and lightheaded from motion sickness. I've suffered motion sickness all my life, but for some reason it is increasing. I don't like it at all. I sometimes think it might be my body withdrawl from caffeine and all the other crap I am not partaking in so much anymore. Is that possible? I don't know. I have 36 years of bad habits I am overcoming, so I am sure I will be punished in some way... if I already haven't done too much damage to the one valuable and irreplaceable thing I have in this life: My body.

So I went to the doctor this last Friday and they took 4 vials of blood:

Needles freak me out and I didn't dare look at it, but toughed it out I did. FOUR VIALS!!! It took forever it seemed, but I got through it. They ruled out the major worries right away like heart problems, blood sugar, etc. Blood pressure was high but in the normal range. If I continued on my destructive path with food, I would likely get worse, stats-wise. But I have been changing all of that. I should know the results on Monday... IF they found anything. I doubt they will. The problem is in my head. Something with my perceptions or equilibrium. A CAT scan would be a good idea if I could get one. But to rule out anything major happening to me is helping with the anxiety. But it remains that I just feel wrong. Something is off and I can feel it. Its fucking with my world. I can make myself very dizzy doing simple things like moving my head too much. I have learned to sort of move my head with my body, like Michael Keaton in BATMAN. If I don't think about it, I can distract myself from the issues. Last night I had some friends over and we had some beers. I went slow and enjoyed myself. It seemed the more I had fun and just talked, the more I felt "normal." This thing, whatever it is, has taken over my life to some degree and I want it to be fixed.

So I am going to wait for my results this week and meanwhile just try to stay busy and distracted. Wish me luck. I wish I could describe this better, but I cannot. I just know I am not right. Hopefully I get well soon... whatever that will take.

I did finish a commission this week. It was for a pet owner who lost a dog recently. It is meant to be a holiday present. Here it is: 

Touching on the whole Itunes/U2 thing that I have ranted endlessly about on my PODCAST - I was pleased to see that the U2 album has been getting good reviews and also all U2 albums have been increasing in sales via digital and physical media. It seems the album got younger kids checking out their back catalog and thats a great thing! So I declare the album a complete win over the naysayers. I've listened to it several times and its fast approaching my favorite release of 2014 so far. But there's a couple months to go and some major albums coming.. like Foo Fighters and um, that one band... something Floyd that is Pink or something... Also Radiohead's Thom Yorke just released an album via free methods too. I gotta get that and dissect it. What an exciting time for my favorite bands!

I am fast approaching episode #300 of my MORNING SHOW PODCAST - You still have time to enter my contest to win a free copy of my 120 page full color ARTBOOK! Simply email me a question to read live on the show BY CLICKING HERE and that enters you into a drawing. Enter NOW for your chance! Its quite likely I will be recording the new episode sometime this week. So HURRY!

It appears I might be doing another live appearance somewhere in Lansing before the end of the year. I'll let you folks know as soon as details are set it stone. Probably sometime late Oct/early Nov. Stay tuned.

Those local to me who want some of my art prints can hit up THE RECORD LOUNGE in East Lansing and score some, and some killer vinyl!! They are allowing me to set up the prints there in their shop and people are digging them. So stop in if you are in East Lansing area and get my shit! Many of those prints will not be reprinted anymore, so get em while they last!!

I recently have started to recollect some CDs as well. It seems me getting rid of physical media made me miss them greatly. Luckily, Cds are dirt cheap right now so when I have a spare $5-10, I toss some to some albums. Hey, its better than spending it on fast food! I need to get a CD player that will work with my receiver though.

I suppose thats all I have for the moment. I hope you all have a good week. Hopefully I get good news about my health soon. I'll keep you all posted if I learn anything.

Much Love,  T

Updates and Nonsense

Hey folks! We're rockin and rolling over here. I'm doing a bunch of commissioned AP cards from my Leaf Sports blanks, plus a few other commissions. Busy as always. Money has been tight as we're keeping up with little bills and plus doctor's visits/medication fees for Scott-bot. I think we got a good hold on a pill that helps calm him down. Its a rollercoaster most days with him, but we're getting it. He's getting better. Whew! Now if we can just keep his little brother out of everything!

Been continuing my vinyl obsession. I sold a few dvds/cds the other day and picked up some nice used discs. I did most of my shopping at REPLAY in East Lansing. If you are in the area, stop on in. Here's a bit of the interior:

There's three vinyl shops in East Lansing: Replay, FBC (Flat, Black and Circular) and The Record Lounge. They are all pretty close together. If in the area, stop in and give em business. Indie record shops deserve your money over big box stores!!!

In other news, I recorded episodes 199-200 of my IDIOTHEAD MORNING SHOW! Subscribe via Itunes right HERE. Its free! And thanks to those who listen. Its a perfect companion to this blog.

Over in the adult section of the site, we're getting ready to jump into chapter four of STARSLAM, my superhero erotica story. All shall soon be revealed! So if you are over 18, jump over and get caught up. That also, is FREE!

For you adult Deviantart fans, I will be uploading newer girlie art sometime this next week so watch out for it. Its celebrating some love for BBW. (BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMEN) Necessary.

The snow has fallen here in Michigan and south of us there was a massive snowstorm. Winter is here and that means fasten your coats and turn on that 4 wheel drive. Be safe! Don't drive crazy. Only a couple more months and it will be gone, so just tough it out and stay safe. 

I gave my oldest son his Xmas present already. I got him an Xbox360. I still have yet to shop for Xmas for Scott, James and the wife. The wife is already well aware that I need vinyl from Santa. So we're gonna organize that very soon. I'm still waiting on some outstanding freelance invoices to be paid. I guess I need to stop being so nice and get louder about it.

Some great movies coming in theaters that I want to see. Obviously the HOBBIT sequel. Then there's GRUDGE MATCH, basically Raging Bull vs. Rocky Balboa. The trailer looks great. And I saw the trailer for the new Godzilla flick. Very very dope. Its gonna be a great summer next year!

I suppose that is all I have on my plate today for you. Hope it was filling. Nummers! Take care, be safe in the snow and have a good week!

T