Slurpees and Popsicles!

Hey friends! 

 

I have had a busy time as usual. Work, artwork, sleep, family, repeat. But I have been making some progress! 

 

I chatted with my STARSLAM 3 colorist to see if he is on board to color STARSLAM 4 and he is in! So there is good news once again. I will be sending him some pages pretty soon. Also I have been working very hard to get caught up with commissions. I just gotta letter a 5 pager and finish art on an 8 pager and then I am finally caught up. Although a couple other guys want me to do a few more story based ones. The money, is good, to be honest. I need to be paying off my stuff and making up for some of the purchases I have been doing lately.

 

To be honest, I've gone a bit overboard. I'm not in trouble, but just went a tad crazy on the pre-orders. So I am curbing it for the rest of the summer. No seriously! There is a CD/Vinyl show here in town tomorrow and I am not going. So its that serious! HA! 

 

I'm joking, kids. I'm all good. Just want to get my card paid back down before the holidays come around. Also I got the big show in Mt. Pleasant in October to save for. I've been working very hard to juggle everything. But the last month or so we've dealt with some depression and my oldest son came for a visit, so we did some spending. Its okay. Life is happening! It all good. Health is better too. I am lower in weight than I originally thought I would be. So that is always a good thing. 

 

The sad news is that I don't think me doing TWO Kickstarters in Aug/Sept is logical or doable. I'm just not that caught up yet. But I want to get STARSLAM 4 really rocking and then launch the Kickstarter for that. I think... I am not sure which way to go. I penciled some killer new pages for that comic this week. I can't wait for you all to see this thing! 

 

But the work on everything continues and the PATREON is nice and caught up all the way to November. I got 5 other stories for it beyond that in various stages of development. All references are pulled and things are happening. But I gotta get these commissions and STARSLAM 4 rolling more before I can focus on those. But to be good and far enough ahead on it is a great thing! I got the comics all scheduled all the way to September. I just need to word balloon and upload the comics beyond that. I need a nice couple quiet days of solid productivity to get it done. Here's hoping!

 

Last week my oldest son visited. We took the opportunity to take a photo of me with all three of my boys. I think its one of the best pics I've ever taken. (And I hate pics of me!) Here it is: 

 

 

 

Handsome group, don't ya think? I think so! I'm proud of all three of them. 

 

Anyway, just giving an update to say that I am working hard and being quiet because of the productivity. Believe me, soon you will all get sick of hearing from me! 

 

Till next time, stay cool, eat them slurpees and down those popsicles! 

 

--T

Life Progress

Welcome back my friends.

There's so much bullshit going on in the world right now. Yet another controversy in comics (guy drew girl too sexy again... how dare they), politics basically imploding (she did/sad, he said/they wont/will) and man, I'm just tired of all of it. Really sick of it. Every time I plug in, I just get dragged down by whats going on out there. I'm better off when I have my head in the sand and I am far away from all of it. So I forsee another break from social media. I cannot trust myself. Maybe this time, it might stick.

I got stuff I'm working on anyway. I am starting a major fruit/veggie fast this week. Its going to be tough but it has to be done. I'm busy working on Starslam 3 stuff, Patreon stuff, writing things, sketchbook works and other creative outlets. At least those things can distract me and always make me happy. I've tapped back into free form thought, writing and sketching in my large sketchbook. Check it:

Its rare that I share my journal/sketchbook randoms in this blog so enjoy that peek. Some dark shit goes on in there. I've done those books since I was in high school. They are my therapy.

The work on Starslam 3 continues. I scanned a bunch of new pages (about 22) and got them ready for coloring. Here's a scene where Starslam and Tara begin some flirting while working out. Hmmm....

This past Saturday I had my last signing appearance of the year (or ever?) at Summit Comics in downtown Lansing. Some friends dropped by and it was good to see them. I sold a few prints and books and did a quick cover commission of Neegan for a book:

I haven't shared much about the upcoming Patreon campaign. But the work is in progress. Here's a SFW non-spoilery look at what I'm doing so far for it. 

So that's the workload on the creative side. On the dayjob, things are ramping up to the busy season so I am looking forward to some major overtime (I hope). I need to save for several things for next year. Yet another move, and to get my boys jointly. I will need to buy furniture, clothes and other things to prepare for their days living with me. Little James is growing up so much:

This week they went trick or treating... Dressed as Superman and Spiderman! I won't attempt to tell them that such a team up would never happen in comics, but whatever! It seems like they had a good time:

James ridin' with his school crush.

Other than that, I am drifting through these somber days and trying to right my ship. I just gotta keep creating, keep ignoring the bullshit of the world, and get myself fit (mentally and physically). There's a lot of changes happening for sure. Its a scary time. But I will get through it like I always have. I have things to look forward to: My dad is coming to visit this weekend. I reserved my hotel for Horrorhound next year. I'm super excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Kitty D and I have already made our lists and checked em 300 times. That NES retro thingie is coming soon. I'm toying with maybe getting a PS4 at some point during or after the holidays. Maybe treat myself for the hard work on the dieting and changes happening.

As always, onward and upward... to ALL of us!

CHRISTMAS DAY 2015 PIX

Hey friends. Hope your holiday is going well. I had my kids yesterday and thought I'd share some yuletide pics of their excitement. I cooked a big ham, potatoes and dumplings which we all dug into and loved. They were very happy with their presents as was I. I got SANDMAN OVERTURE GN, a bag to put my travel stuff in, Family Feud travel game, Star Wars socks and (Surprise) a brand new expensive USB Microphone! Perfect for recording music and podcasts!

I've been thinking about re-tooling my MORNING SHOW PODCAST for a while now and this seems like the perfect excuse. So more on that later. For now, here are some pics to enjoy. Thanks for checking back and happy holidays!

The boys tear into it all.

The bots' favorite present was his new R2 Pillow. The kid is Star Wars crazy right now.

He also got discs, remote control car, R2 activity set, a couple shirts, and a few other things.

The GF got a knife set, HUUUGE wine glass (I'm sure she'll use that) and a few other things.

Lil' James got a remote control car, fishing game, perfection game and some other stuff. He was quite happy.

New podcast mic! Now I'll sound even better! I didn't even ask for this one and she got it for me. I was toying with getting one. How santa read my mind, I have no idea.

James played the hell out of his remote control car. I want one!

New Starslam and Life!

Hey folks! Just a quick touch down to update on a few things. Starslam pages are flowing right along! Here is a sneak peek:

A new foe for the gang to tackle.

The talk before the big battle.

So I'm about at page 72 now. I'm a little more than halfway done with the art pages. Pages 1-69 are scanned into the computer and ready for coloring. I'm rolling things along in time to get the Kickstarter going for it by October. Fingers crossed. 

I'm also going to be busy on another Star Wars related card set. This one is a BIG one! You will definitely want to see what I got cooking this time around. Its time to get "awakened!" ;) Also I'm finally sitting down and enjoying CLONE WARS. Bout time, right? I got Star Wars fever!!

I'm working tons of hours, but luckily got to see my boys a couple days this week. They had fun too! 

Little James loves playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with daddy. But he hoards all the food balls!

The boys playing some old skool Mario Bros. Scotty can beat Level 1 all by himself now! He still has trouble jumping over some of the taller pipes, so I help out. But he's doing great. Hand to eye coordination will definitely help him with his learning skills I would think.

BTW, Scott-bot graduated Kindergarten and is moving on to First Grade! He's kicking autism's ass and I'm quite proud of how things are going. My oldest is entering his Sophomore year of high school. Damn where does the time go!?!? James starts pre-school next year. WOW!

This weekend we are visiting some family and on Sunday I am seeing RUSH in concert! You better believe I'll have pics and audio to share. Maybe some video if I feel like doing that. But I mostly want to take in the experience. It might be the last time they tour for various reasons. So I don't want to miss a second of it all.

Anyway, have a great weekend my friends. The work continues!

T

LET IT SNOW!

Hey folks. Just enjoying some cold weeks up here in Michigan as the snow begins to start.

Its getting me in the holiday spirit. We already partially decorated the house a bit for Xmas. Sue me. I didn't get to enjoy Xmas much at all as a kid. Being raised as a Jehovah's Witness sucked! I didn't celebrate Xmas from the age of 9-16 or so. So I missed out on a lot. Making up for it now.

Scott is making excellent progress in his schooling. He's getting better at writing his letters:

James is hanging out at home a lot with me too:

And when we're not doing that, we're working on the STARSLAM KICKSTARTER, which expires in 10 days. Be sure to pledge and preorder the book!

I've completed the script for Starslam book #2. I will start pencilling on it this week after I finish doing some Marvel cards for Upper Deck. Excited about this script. Its gonna be a doozy! Also I am gonna redo some of the already done Anna Pocalypse 2 pages. I'm working on BOTH BOOKS AT THE SAME TIME!!!! I must be insane. But I promised the book to be done and done it shall be!

Anyway folks, just checking in. Hope all is going well for everyone. Be safe out there my droogies!

T

Stuff and Nonsense

Hey all. Been a bit since a blog update so here ya go.

 Been busy for the most part. Working the night job, catching sleep when I can and doing things around the house. Seems I am cleaning this place top to bottom daily! The kids go all Dr. Destructo on the place and I struggle to keep things rolling and clean around here. But I do enjoy it. It would help if I wasn't so out of it most of the time. Adjusting to day, then night, then back to day sleep really does a number on me. The wife is starting a new job this week for a bit more pay and way more opportunity. But she will be out of town for six weeks for training! Only home on the weekends. Also Scotty starts school on Tuesday. It is definitely going to be lonely around here. But I honestly could use a bit of quiet. I'll still have James here to keep me company. I plan to use this quiet time to catch up on my loooooooong TO DO list. Anxious to get started on it.

I had my last appearance (I think) for the year today. I did a quick signing at a new comic shop in Lansing called RED FOX COMICS. Its by the Outback Steakhouse and Kohls in West Lansing, off of Saginaw Rd. A good location. Good folks in there and they are running a new, modern titles clean family friendly shop. No games, all comics. I was happy to go in there and show support. I'm sure I'll be back in. They mentioned doing things with some local artists so we'll see what comes up!

Am I sad its my last appearance for the year? Not really. I'm sorta still drained from the shit this year has done to me. Its still going on too. This week I had a surprise $600 car repair. I was overdue for it anyway I guess. But I am equally overdue for some GOOD LUCK TO HAPPEN!!!!!! Heh. I can dream on I suppose, right?

But things are okay. I'm writing more. The night job is going well. Stress is dwindling. Bills are getting caught up. Its only a matter of time before I get into actual production again. I do things here and there, like I am on this card set for Marvel right now. But other than that, everything I have done is real sorta "once a week" type of production stuff. My office misses me. Scotty monopolizes the time in here. But soon I will have it back. Soon.

I'm scared about his starting kindergarten. All sorts of questions arise. How is he going to handle it? What is his teacher going to do for him? He is behind on some things and seems really unwilling to learn here at home. I hope he cooperates at school and gets better. Potty training is still a bitch and he only wants to watch videos and eat all the time. He's getting a bit chubby and that scares me too. He won't eat healthy things. He won't even try them. If we take him to the park, it has to be followed up with a trip to get french fries. Its really a problem. I'm hoping daily school activity will help him. But he will be limited to only eating what we pack for his lunch, instead of munching and eating all day at home like he does. I guess we'll see if he can do well at adjusting. Most of the time, not so much. Its his way or its crazy time. We'll see.

In other news, I did an interview with James Rolfe and Kevin Finn who did the ANGRY VIDEO GAME NERD MOVIE and also the AVGN videos online.

I've been a fan for a long time. And it was an awesome opportunity to interview them! It will be up at Bigfanboy.com in a couple days. I'm sure I will post links when its up. There's an audio and written interview with them. Great fun to talk to some current heroes of mine!

I think the first thing out the gate when this new schedule begins is finishing my novels. First the porn store one and then the short story one. Then finishing comics. I got all of STARSLAM scanned. Just needs coloring and lettering. Then Kickstarter. Maybe around Christmas? I don't want to hold myself to anything. Then Anna plans. We'll see what all I can do. For now, just taking it as it feels right. I got nothing in my head as far as 2015 plans or anything yet. There's things I am kicking around but its too early to commit to anything.  We shall see.

The title to this blog should just be "We'll see!"

However, I am keeping up with IDIOTHEAD MORNING SHOW PODCAST! Are you caught up with it? I got tons of new episodes up. Listen HERE or subscribe via ITUNES. Also if you do that, please give a rating and feedback at Itunes. It helps the ratings and gives me the chance to earn some sponsors. I do all this for free, so some help is always great!

Haven't bought much music lately but I've been on a big STOOGES kick. Also the RAMONES and ROLLINS BAND. Been catching up with other types of podcasts too. As far as reading I've dug into some Harlan Ellison and I am finally getting around to this book called Basajaun by Rosemary Van Deuren. I got it from her last year and its been on the TO READ pile for a while. So far, I like both books. Done a lot more reading this year than I have in a long time. I'm enjoying it!

On the diet front, no news but I am doing good. Wife is down over 70 pounds. She's gone from a size 22 to a size 12. I'm proud of her. I'm slow going but in this for the long haul. Been on a big water kick lately, which is what I should be on anyway. Coffee too. Yup.

Anyway, thats about enough of an update from me. A bunch of nothingness. I hope you were entertained. But I am glad you stopped by again! Its for you I keep in this whole thing. Better days are not too far ahead. I'm looking forward to it. I need it!!!! Thanks to you all for your continued support.

Cheers, T

The Passion of the Clerk

That is me lately. Slummin' it as a clerk at a gas station late nights. Its helping connect the dots a bit better though. But it certainly fucks with my schedule. I knew it would. But it is a necessary evil for the moment. But good news abounds lately in our home as the wife has some great things coming up for her, which sets in motion long dormant plans and dreams of ours. So I have the light at the end of the tunnel that if we both work hard now, we will emerge waaaaaaaaay better off when the time comes. So for now, I shall choke down the poo sammich I got on my plate.

Actually, its not all that bad. The job is easy enough. I get along with everyone I think. But juggling the sleep schedule and the kids can be a bit gruesome. But its all worth it in the end, I know. Just gotta keep my eyes on the prize.

Something special happened this week. My parents came up for a visit. Last January, my dad had a heart attack, stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. Although very scary and the familiar fears set in, I just knew that he would be okay. That his time just isn't up. Also, my step-mom is battling cancer, but she certainly doesn't show it. The cancer is shrinking and she's remaining extremely positive. But its hard to make an 8 hour drive to visit all of us kids with juggling tons of doctor's visits and other things they got going on, plus our hectic schedules. But this week the planets aligned and they arrived. They showered our home with gifts for the kids' upcoming birthdays and our wedding anniversary. They even watched the house for a night so the wife and I could get out alone... a rarity in our lives! We just window shopped at a couple grocery stores and then had late night breakfast like we used to do back in college. It was nice to enjoy my wife's company, alone. Another tiny gift from my parents.

We'll see them again this next week. Right now they are up visiting my brothers an hour north of me. I am going to go up there on Thursday so we can all be together for a bit. Again, a rarity for all of us to be in one place at the same time. But when my folks left here and headed up north, Gloria sent me this pic of dad:

He's smiling while talking about the visit they just had at our place. While I know the kids can be loud and money is tight here so we can't take THEM out to show them a good time, he still had great fun and was happy to have came to visit. Its indescribable what this picture means to me. It hasn't been easy for my dad this year. He's been through some hell with his own health, but now down 85 pounds. His wife is fighting cancer. And there has been some major major major drama in the family I won't get into. But one that really has to cut him beyond deep, financially and personally. I couldn't imagine dealing with it all like he is. But here he is, smiling.... just after seeing us here, and heading up to see his other kids, enjoying every second of life he has before him. I wish I had this pic back in January when he was in the hospital. To know that very soon, I'd see my dad upright and feeling good and he'd be smiling again. The back pain is not there and his worries are melting away with his joy over his family. I'm going to get this one blown up and keep it in a great place.  Its a candid photo she snapped and he didn't know it was happening. Its as genuine a shot as you can get and I won't forget it.

Meanwhile, here's some newer pics of James and Scotty:

Scott-bot starts kindergarten this year. He's making excellent progress. James is talking non-stop and we're excited about his progress as well. Its most certainly likely that he does not have autism like his brother and we get the joy of two unique journeys of life with them. Its so early in the game and I am going to enjoy the ride. I hope one day I'll have a pic of me smiling like that at almost 70 years old, reflecting on my visit with my kids like the one I got above.

But for now, I am focusing on whats before me. Getting the medical debt gone. Saving for the dream house. Finishing all my projects. Losing weight and getting mentally healthy. Its going to take a while, I know. But I am way better today than I was a month ago. I'm enjoying life and learning to smile again. The things that should anger me, simply don't anymore. I just don't care. Reconnecting with my old self... its a great thing. Hello old friend. I'm glad to see you never left. :)

This year is starting to turn itself around, thank creation. Just wait til you see whats coming from the seeds I'm planting today.....

Cheers, T

Randomness from my Jelly Hole

Tonight I am lubing up to tackle a bit more writing in my novel about my days as a porn store worker. The idea of picking up a pencil and slinging lead just hasn't appealed to me today and I've been reading a lot. I got the mindset for it and I'm ready to go. Just thought I'd get myself geared up to do the deed, by providing some content to you dear readers of my site. Lets see what random thoughts happen in my head lately. Here's what I got swimming:

Bobby Womack is dead. That sucks. He was one of my favorite soul singers and I got a soul mix in which he is featured heavily. Gonna be hard to watch Jackie Brown again and not get a bit glassy eyed when I hear his beautiful vocals roll through "Across 110th Street." RIP. The dude beat cancer and was struggling with diabetes. Word is he even was getting Alzheimers. But he kept going and recorded a well recieved new album of material in 2012. Way to punch life back in the face Bobby. Definitely will be missed.

The bots had a major wobbler* all day today. He gets difficult to deal with when he does that. However, little baby James is talking up a storm, which is very encouraging. It is quite a weird thing to talk to my son and he talks right back. A new concept for me. I enjoy it.

This week, an artist pal of mine and his wife had a baby. He posted a pic to Facebook and apologized beforehand about posting pics of his kids to the site. I realized then that indeed there had to be people out there that complained about people who post pics of their kids to their wall. THEIR WALL. Or maybe someone gives you shit when you post all advertising about your sales to your wall. Or that you post political rants. Again, ITS YOUR WALL. Like listening to the radio, if you don't like the song, simply switch the channel. I do it all the time. And when I cannot find a song I like, I turn the knob down and listen to my own thoughts. Its great. Which this all lead to me believe that anyone who comments on (in a negative way) or tries to criticize what you post on YOUR WALL is a complete and utter asshole and should die in the center of the sun. The interaction of social media is a triple edged sword, especially for creative types because the distraction leads to unproductive habits. But sometimes its our only way out of our own head or the solitary refinement of our office chairs. To combat this, I have blocked the feeds of about 95% of the people I am friends with on FB. That way, I am not constantly in people's lives and I'm back in my own head. But I did bother to tell my friend to please, post those baby pics and FUCK ANYONE who tries to control what you should do with what is yours.

When I do finish all current projects on my list: Anna 2, Starslam/Erotica book kickstarter, Mayhem 1 redo, Mayhem 4, Porn Store book, Short story book, I am going to take a looooooong vacation! Or not. Because reading my posts from one year ago this month, I was talking about taking a four month sabbatical off from all artworking and creating. This stuff cannot be put on a shelf for me. And the daily waits around the kids are endlessly frustrating for me. But at least I'm being paid for the work I do... oh wait... three clients owe me money and keep dodging me. Time to start putting on the deep pressure!

Well thats it. Back to work. Thanks for coming back!

Cheers, T**

_________________
*My word for "major fucking freakout." Its derived from an English word for the same meaning. It is yet another example of me wanting to incorporate more British slang into my yankee world.
**See? "Cheers." Even more of British slang. I should just move there and get it over with.

New Habits - Old Rants

I recently taught my son how to use my Mac and gave him his own side and password to log on. So every morning he gets up first thing and logs on to watch videos on Youtube and look at pics of things he likes on Google. Its been a great learning tool for him. However it ruins my old morning routine of using my own computer to check online things and start my day. I guess I have my iphone for that, until he decides to give up my beloved. But its still an adjustment and slightly annoying that I have to wait to use my own things!

Ever since starting this recent lifestyle change of eating better, I started drinking more coffee in the mornings. I sit at the kitchen table and take in a few cups while checking online stuff with my phone and just starting my day out catching up on everything. I started it around the time my dad went in the hospital. I felt it a fitting tribute because that was dad's routine. Dad would get up around 5am everyday and sit and drink a whole pot of coffee while he had the quiet time to himself at the table. He'd read his bible (back when we used to go to church... for me, that was 21 years ago) or he would break out the yellow notebook and do figures. What he was always doing with those figures is beyond me. He'd write out bills and do "What If" scenarios and figure them all out, financially. Always on yellow notepads. I use small yellow notepads everyday to make little notes in my office and write out lists. I got the habit from him. And now I got the sit at the table and drink coffee habit too. All in tribute to my dad.

He's doing much better, thankfully. I called him this morning. They say he might go home from the nursing home today. He's getting sharper everyday and seems to be well on the way to a complete recovery. Still a tad slurry here and there, but a lot better than when this all started. I'm extremely pleased with that. It was definitely scary there for a while. I'm waiting til the weather decides to remain consistent and I can trek down and see him. But I can't tell you what it meant to pick up the phone and call him for a quick casual call this morning. Just like I used to do for mom when she was alive. That's what I missed the most shortly after she died. I'd pick up the phone and start dialing and then that horrible feeling of  would set in. I'd remember she wasn't there and it was "oh yeah...she's dead." No worse feeling in the world than that. The helplessness. I just wasn't ready to feel that again. But thankfully I don't have to feel that today. Probably not for a long time to come. Cause I think my dad is gonna hang out here with me for a long time coming. It feels good to know that.

Again, I want to thank everyone for their messages, emails, calls, and more during this rough month we had. I really saw who my true friends were during this period and it meant the world to me. I took note of it all and I won't forget it. Thanks, my friends.

So here I sit today, trying out a new habit: Typing out a new blog at the kitchen table using (GULP) my wife's PC Laptop. I honestly hate it. I just don't like PCs for a plethora of reasons. I don't think this will take and stay a daily routine because I can't figure this damn thing out. Its constantly stopping and doing updates on me. I might have to save up and get a Mac laptop... just to make me feel normal. OR wait for me to get my beloved back everyday. OR get a newer Imac and give the kid the old one. That's inevitable anyway. Who knows. But for now I make do with what I got. PC or not.

The sun is out today and the snow is not as fierce. I look forward to spring because I am itching to toss a lot of crap out of this house. We got a ton of clothes and toys the kids don't use anymore and I'd love to make some room in here. I feel like moving furniture around and just making some changes for the better. New routines, new looks, new things to look at. I don't know what it is. I just feel like being a little different than my old self lately. I don't know why, but I like it!

(NOTE: As I was just typing now, this PC just shut down Firefox... so I had to re-log in and thankfully blogger saved everything I just typed. Yeah.. I HATE PC's!)

I think I am just ready for spring for more reasons than one. School is constantly cancelled and I had this bit where baby James would sleep from noon-4, and I could get work done. But with Scott's school constantly closed, my work load hasn't been getting done and stuff has been piling up. Thankfully the last couple nights I have stayed up later and got some writing done. My goal of getting the first draft of the sex store novel done by March is almost complete. I probably have a week's work of work to do on it. Then I'll edit it, add more, let some others read it and give feedback, refine again and then start pitching it to publishers. No way do I want to do this one myself unless I have no other choice. Just once I'd like the responsibility to get of me, and get my books into more stores.

(NOTE: At this point, Scotty gave me back my Mac and I have jumped from the crappy PC to my beloved. I shall type the rest of this post from there!)

AHHHHH... my old keyboard beneath my fingers and no constant interruptions! My beloved Mac! Well, as much as I am embracing change, some things I love just need to stay right the way they are! I type faster on this machine, too! If I was writing a book on that PC, you wouldn't see it until 2034!

Anyway, yes, I am progressing on the book and should have it done around the time I expect. I am hoping the rest falls into place as I need it to. Meanwhile, I am putting together the new MAYHEM book (expect a Kickstarter to launch for that soon!) and thinking ahead to what is next. I am still trying to find a way to get the files I need off these old zip discs and onto my Mac so I can reprint my old comics. I'm going to be doing more STARSLAM strips this week as well. I want all projects I have on my immediate plate done by the end of this year. My slate completely clear! (but of course I know what I want to do after that, so the slate will NEVER be clear!!!)

Progress. Change. Hey, the initials of that are P.C.! Whoa.

Okay this is the most rambling blog post ever concieved in all mankind. I better end it now and get back to actual work. Thanks for reading all of this my friends. I hope you make the progress and change in your daily lives as well. We all do. Change for the better and make the progress you know you have to make. Don't stop the train from rolling. Keep rockin' out!

Cheers, T

Scotty and his Autism

Sometimes I'll get emails or messages asking how our son Scotty is and how things are going since he was diagnosed with autism. Slow, but progress happens almost daily. We've had meetings with doctors about courses of action, tried a couple of medications and I think we got a rhythm now that makes him very happy (and US VERY HAPPY!). As you can imagine, there's all sorts of emotions that come with having an autistic child. There's things we cannot do and we get comments, stares and judgements accordingly. Its hard for us to do anything. Everything has to be planned around him and the possibilities. But I think now we've got a great stride and I am happy.

He's even progressing with his learning. A while back I bought him an Ipod and he's discovered the joys of youtube. He watches little cartoons and things on it, as well as he now seems to have an interest in playing Wheel of Fortune ad naseum. I don't mind because he learns letters. He's quite good at it.

This week I took a chance and decided to show him how to use a desktop computer. The mouse work took some doing, but he caught on. I gave him his own log in side and he's going to google and pulling things off the net. Mostly pictures he likes. Today he pulled off a ton and wanted them printed out. So I put them all on one page using InDesign and printed them out for him. He's extremely happy with it cause he did it too.

Point is, he used a mouse. Can type his own name and make selections he wants. I'm preparing him for a computer age. He's really taking to it and enjoying it.

Also, his vocabulary is expanding. He's trying new words. And he's added "please" and "Thank you" to everything, instead of just shouting what he wants as one word. He'll say "help please." and we'll help whatever it is he wants. Progress. I'll take it.

To my delight, lately he's been obsessed with Ghostbusters. So we started watching the cartoon series. Usually he will just watch the menus or the intro music to a cartoon. But he watches the episodes all the way through with me. He loves them.

Watching the old cartoon with him again has made me nostalgiac for my old love of the Ghostbusters cartoon days. As a kid I was a massive fan of it, and of course, the movies. The last Christmas I ever had when I was nine (long story..I discussed in on the blog here back in 2007. Give a read right HERE) I got the FIREHOUSE playset. I wish I could get it for him and even the figures. They are collectors items, rare and outrageously priced now, but I am hoping I can find a cheap lot somewhere. I'd love to play them again with him. I know it would be cool to watch and experience through his eyes again.

On the other kid front, James is making progress as well. He seems way more playful, interactive and talkative than bots did when he was that age. Still not saying many words however, which has us understandably concerned. But we are just playing it day to day at this point. Today he was saying "DADA" clearly over and over. And he's only 1 year and a few months old. No rush.

Anyway, thats the update on them. Thanks for all your messages and thoughts. We appreciate it, believe me. Now excuse me, I gotta go watch some cartoons with the kid.