Ready, flow.

Hey, I'm producing stuff again. It comes in short bursts, but that's the way I like it. If I work too long on something it frustrates me. Here is a piece I did for my sister and her family. Titled it "Flutter By" after how my wife refers to butterflies. I thought the title also fits the easy-going nature of my sister's family.






I just can't express how wonderful it is to paint, move and watch this mixture of materials outside of me (along with the energy flowing through me) to create an image. I definitely don't feel like my images are nice crisp works that belong in a gallery, but it does seem to convey a feeling. That, that feeling (preferring good over bad), is what I want.
You can find the rest of my stuff here, on DeviantArt, along with a larger version of the above painting.

Mayan Apocalypse. 1 Year, 364 days and counting.

In spite of any New Year's meals, "rabbit rabbit" sayings or other superstitious activity (or resolution making) I think I'll just chalk a new year and decade up to personal responsibility. The Maker gave us sense enough to recognize blessing if we want to. If we want to. See the responsibility part there? I didn't say "If God blesses us", no, the blessings will come. We have to make a conscious decision to recognize it and be thankful. Now that you recognize it, take care of it. Don't leave it up to chance, flip of a coin (which can be helpful with little non-matters), or hopeful wishing. Take responsibility for the family you've been blessed with. Use your finances responsibly to help with that first part. Be responsible with your body. These are more than just resolutions. These are obligations that the new year just tends to remind us of, sometimes in a manner that makes us feel like such a failure :\ Then again, that's why God blessed us enough to make it one more day (let alone a year or decade).

I'm sure future posts will be more positive, goofy and uplifting. But since we've got a little time to think here at this kick-off point, let it be of use to us. Now, go save the world ;)

New Day

Up at 5:10 this morning, took a picture for you:





















Yeah, black as black can be :P

Patterns and reciprocity.

It seems that my state of blogging could be diagnosed as manic-depressive. Unlike the real world ailment, blogging surges in depressive states. When something is not right in (my view of) the world, or there is some great injustice (usually more personal than global). Yet I write to give the many readers a chance to see my inner monologue and keep people intrigued like the latest Dan Brown novel. Only, my inner monologue is much more exciting. *Now please re-read that last sentence with a healthy level of sarcasm instead of narcissism.*

A few hours ago I finished catching up on a friend's blog, and found a personal relation in her True Christmas wish list:

"a full time job that engages my brain and allows me to work with creative, caring, and inovative people (not that those at my current job aren't those things)"

Surely this is no new feeling to any blogger. I have some feeling that most bloggers are writing to create an outlet in a world that is focused on plugging along a mediocre path toward massive wealth. This path is adopted instead of charging headlong into a melee of dreams, reality, puppies and barb-wire to come out with an awesome story and life-experience. As far as jobs are concerned it is hard to find a situation where both the work itself and the people we work alongside are engaging. Lets say we have a great job with great coworkers that push us towards new levels of awesomeness, how do we handle our customers? Allow me to share the "Wish List of Customer Relations":

~Smile
~Listen to your customer (concerns and elations)
~Ask pertinant questions to complete the task, save chit chat for when the job is complete.
~Keep the customer involved (as much as they want to be anyways)
~Be upfront and honest (if changes must be made to the solution, fill the customer in)
~Be positive, but be genuine
~All prices should be the same all the time (if you are running a special it should be extended to all customers)
~Reward long time customers (seniority should win out over popularity)
~All negotiations should be done on the front end, not when writing up the bill (even address what may happen in the case of changes)
~Double-check with the customer on their satisfaction
~Leave an open door for questions that come after-the-fact (just in case all the bases weren't covered)

There is my wish list. I'm sure there is some business elite laughing at me with great delight, but that fear is quelled by realizing no elite (of any kind) would read my blog. Just a thought to consider before I drop this; would you like to have these actions extended to you as a customer? If so, immulate Jesus and "love your neighbor as you love yourself." Throw down like Ghandi and "be the change you want to see in the world." Step out there like, well, I don't know who said this but step out and "don't wait for people to be friendly, show them how."

Now get out there and save the world!

Fresh Meat...read in your best Robin Leach voice.

There's this wonderful restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina called The Gamekeeper. The menu is wonderful and varied. They have your common fine dining cuisine such as beef and fish, even a nice large garden salad. Yet, as the name implies, their forte is in wild game.

On our, mine and my wife's, last trip to Boone, NC we met my dad and step-mom for dinner at The Gamekeeper. From the moment you pull up to this renovated house (after safely steering up 3 miles of curvy mountain road) you feel you are somewhere different. Valet takes your car and you step up onto the deck to take in a great view, which I recommend getting there before the sun goes down. Upon entering there is a wonderful staff and a great atmosphere, but we all know you wanna hear about the food.

So, onto the plates. We began the evening with a meat sampler; this was comprised of antelope, buffalo, buffalo sausage, and their "predetor and prey" sausage (this is the combined meats of rattlesnake and rabbit in the same sausage skin). These came with a serving of steak fries and three dipping sauces; homemade honey-mustard with a kick of horseradish, sweet barbeque with a mesquite taste, and horseradish sour-cream (the dinner party's favorite). This was promtly followed by our entree. Everyone enjoyed different items, I ordered the pheasant which was plesantly spicy served on top of some nice fresh spinach to cool off the spice. The best dish of the night went to my wife with her duck...tender, not overly seasoned and delicious. So tender I would have sworn it was filet mignong. We finished the night with an after dinner irish coffee and an acorn squash stuffed with pumpkin cheesecake and a topping of whipped cream with a caramel sauce on the side, this was slightly underwhelming after the dinner, but still quite tasty.

The dinner was wonderful and the company of family only made it better. If you are now curious about this restaurant, I recommend seeking it out. Mind you the menu changes on a almost daily basis as some items are in short supply, but everything you have there will please...or at least, everything I've had there has. So, I hope I peeked a curiousity somewhere and left you drooling. I'll send out an invite next time I'm going to Boone in hopes of sharing this experience with another couple at another time. If you have not followed any of the above links, again, visit www.gamekeeper-nc.com.

Good evening :)
(Smiley face added to take away from austire tone used throughout this blog, thank you and goodnight.)