Finding Happiness Through Hobbies

Hey guys, I know it has been a long time since I have written on here, and I was actually surprised to see a comment on one of my blogs recently.  I have been meaning to write, but have been keeping myself busy with other projects.

I thought this plant was done for this year, but it proved me wrong!

A couple of years ago I got out of the driving department, which was a very good change for me.  My new supervisor was great. So, I was sad when, after a year, he quit, as well as our General Manager.  I managed to stay. It took about 9 months before we got a new supervisor, which kept me very busy at my place of work. Eventually, we added some more people, but I was still working tons of overtime hours. I do like the new supervisor, though, which is good. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, none of us, have not been able to work for about a month now.

I still have my other hobbies, though. Whether I am working at my regular job or not.  I have actively done Inktober for 2 years in a row, now. For those who don't know, Inktober is a worldwide individual challenge inspired by prompts put out by Jake Parker.  He created it to get better at his inking skills.  I tried 3 years ago, just doodling from a few of the prompts, but never posting.  Then, two years ago, I committed to do the whole thing, no matter how bad my art looked.  Last year, I even bought a sketchbook, some new pens, and an official shirt, to motivate myself.  My cousin even sent me a fountain pen for my birthday, to motivate me as well.  She participated with me, but did not post her drawings.  She did show me, her artwork, however.  It was fun!

I did buy new art supplies, but I actually only used half of the ones shown here (last year).  The other half, I used the year before. Shown:  Official Inktober shirt, pencil, India ink, ballpoint pen, Sharpie, eraser, and sketchbook (I didn't use the India Ink for either Inktober... maybe next year?).

Two years ago, I had some vacation time to do my drawings, and they were pretty easy, and went quickly. Last year, everything I thought of took a little more planning and work. When the list was put out in September, I did some pre-sketches, so I would not forget those ideas.  All the inking, however, I waited till the day of. It was definitely challenging, especially with as many hours as I was putting in at work, but I felt it was worth it.

This was my pencil sketch of "Legend" Daryl Hall.  I debated whether I should ink this one or not.  I should have not.  At least I took a photo, first.  I still need practice on drawing people.

November came.  I noticed one of my favorite cartoonists, Michael Jantze was having a challenge in drawing characters from his comic strip The Norm.  He called it "Normvember."  I came up with some ideas, and drew them up.  He really liked them.  In fact, he sent me some hand-drawn post-its of his own work, which was very cool. It was fun.

My mashup version of The Norm and Doctor Who for Normvember.

A cute little gift my sister brought me from Japan on her last visit here.

My sister and her family visited from Japan back in August of last year.  She ordered herself an iPad, and told me about a drawing program called "Procreate." It looked pretty awesome.  Last December, I received an iPad as well, for Christmas, and downloaded Procreate. It is very much like Photoshop to me, so I learned it very quickly, and am still learning new things about it.  I have drawn on it every day since.  I get ideas from prompt lists on Instagram.  There are so many talented artists on Instagram! One of my favorite musicians, Alex Band even started following me.  That was exciting.  Just recently, I participated in a challenge called #6fanarts.  I had friends tell me who to draw for most of them, but I decided to choose to draw Alex Band for my first slot.  I was so happy that he, and many of his fans, liked it!

My stylized version of Alex Band for the #6fanarts challenge.

Another hobby that I have been doing is reading a ton of books.  3 years ago, I started doing a 50 book reading challenge, that one of my friends started.  She uses a list from the Idaho Falls Public Reading Library.  They give a list of 50 categories, and you get to choose a book from each category.  It really expands the type of books you read.  I read categories I would not normally pick, but I found out there are so many categories I like.  After each year of reading, we meet at her house for a party, that usually involves good food, and a white elephant book exchange, games, and prizes.  The first year, I managed to read all 50 books, in each category.  Last year, there was an option of three different tiers.  I chose the lowest, the 25 books.  Thank goodness I did.  There was no way I was going to get through 50 books last year.  This year, there was no other option, so I am trying to do 50 books again.  Hopefully, with this isolation period we are in, I can catch up, and make it.

Lots of books to read, so little time, well, maybe not now.

A current thing, that I am proud of, is, I have managed to keep two of my plants alive for several years now.  They only seem to like the light from my bedroom window, so it really limits the plants I can have, I guess.  I have a geranium that bloomed twice.  Not many blooms the second time, but I was surprised, because I heard they do not bloom more than once.  The impatiens, I thought were done for, and I wound up trimming them back so much, they looked ridiculous.  Then, last year, they filled out, and had a ton of blooms throughout the season.  I was thrilled!

More blossoms!

I am also enjoying cooking again, even if it is on limited ingredients, because I have only been to the store once since this whole isolation period started. When I did finally go to the store, I forgot to get some things!  Oh well!  I am finding things in my house I forget I had, or realized I haven't used.  I am now putting them to use. Making me glad I purchased them in the first place.

Through all this, I have had my good days and bad days. I feel grateful that I have time to do things I like, and also get things done that I did not have much time for.  I worry sometimes how long this will last. Will my job really be there when this is over?

This was a doodle for "Wind," but it feels appropriate for these uncertain times.

The worst news so far, was hearing that one of my favorite YouTubers took his own life.  In his last video, he admitted to being bi-polar.  It would sometimes take a long time for him to post a new video, but I didn't mind, it always made me happy when he did.  I did not know him personally, and I never made any comments on his YouTube account.  I did wonder earlier in the week he died, how he was doing, personally. I wondered if this isolation period was hard on him.  He hadn't posted any videos for awhile, and I just figured once we got through this, he would post one.  I was devastated when I heard the news. He did the videos called "Talking Kitty Cat." It was videos of him, of his cats and dog.  The main star, being a cat, named Sylvester.  Sylvester's character was a foul mouthed, selfish cat, but you couldn't help but love him, anyway. Steve Cash was humorous in how he brought new life into his pets.  He also sang sometimes. One catchy tune is called, "What the Kitty Doesn't Like."  He had a really nice voice.  I am really going to miss Steve Cash, and his awesome videos.

Unrelated, a day or so after, Alex Band went live on Instagram. He talked to fans, brought out his son, talked a little bit about fatherhood, and sang two of my favorite songs of his, "Anything" and "Euphoria."  That cheered me up a bit.  It was really nice for him to do.  He did more songs the next day, on his Patreon page.

As I was writing this, I caught the last half of a live show on Instagram with Mandy Moore (another favorite singer and actress) and her husband, Taylor Goldsmith. They sang very well together.  They seem to compliment each other very well, as a couple, too.

I was just happy to have toilet paper before the news of isolation hit.

Everybody is dealing with things in their own way.  Some of us are able to work, helping others.  Some of us are able to be with our families and teach them. Some of us are able to do things to cheer others up.  Wherever you are at, you are important. Whether you know it or not.  It may be difficult, but we will get through this, one way or another.

I believe we will.  More of my artwork can be seen at my Instagram site.

Friday Night was a Good Night for The Bite

Once again The Bite of Seattle is back, and my yearly tradition continues.  Due to the Alley increasing in price, as well as the parking garage we like to use, my dad and I have decided to not go all three days like we have in the past.

I wasn't sure what the weather was going to be like this year at the Bite.  It had been cold and sometimes rainy earlier in the week, yet warm some of the days before that. My dad and I decided to go on Friday this year, and not on Saturday.  I had to work Friday, so we went after my work. It was nice, because it wasn't too crowded. It wasn't very cold, but I think I should have brought a slightly warmer jacket this year.

The weather was a little windy while eating, but everything was so delicious tasting, it didn't seem to matter. Here is what was available at the Alley yesterday (clockwise, from top left):

Snoqualmie Ice-Cream: Salted Caramel & Mukilteo Mudd (Chocolate) Ice Cream
I did not realize there was a choice when I got to the end of the line.  I chose the Salted Caramel, which I love, and my dad chose the Mukilteo Mudd (Chocolate) one, which was also good.

Super Six: Pork Belly Musubi with Japanese Pickled Vegetables
I was worried about this one when I first saw it.  I am picky about my seaweed, and this looked like it might be the kind I don't like. It was fine. I really could not taste the seaweed at all, and it had a nice, thin texture, but sturdy enough to hold the ingredients held inside. My pork was a little dry, but I didn't mind it that way.  It was very good.

Phorale: Korean Spicy Pork Tacos with Kimchi Slaw & Phorale Aioli
My dad's favorite.  Basically like "Street Tacos," and who doesn't love a good Street Taco.

Dingfelder's Delicatessen: New York Pastrami & Corned Beef Sandwich on Seeded or Marbled Rye with Dingfelder's Coleslaw & Pickles.
Beautiful presentation. It was the first thing I tried.  I thought it was delicious.  My dad thought it was bland.

The Tin Lizzie Lounge: Alaskan Crab & Artichoke Dip on Crostini
My favorite. The crab mixture was incredible tasting, underneath was a tasty salad for presentation.

Alcove Dining Room: Moqueca - Brazillian Seafood Stew with Coconut Milk & Palm Oil with Rice.
The muscle in my stew was not as open as in some of the other samples, I had to pry it more open. However, it tasted good, and the rice mixture below was excellent.

I really did enjoy everything on my plate, and it was hard to pick a favorite, but finally decided mine was the one with the crab and artichoke dip dish.  Yummy.

After eating, we looked around, and listened to a couple of bands.  The first band was called MVP (Michael Jackson vs. Prince) the first song I heard was a cover of  Prince's "Raspberry Beret." They also played some tunes I did not recognize, but were very soulful sounding. There were two female lead singers, and one male singer.  They sounded excellent.  I  was feeling pretty cold while watching them at that point, but I did not want to leave, because I loved their sound.  Two other songs I recognized were Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" and "P.Y.T."  The music was upbeat and fun. Several people were dancing to this group.

The other band we stopped to listen to was The Michelle Taylor Band. The lead singer had one of those scratchy rock n' roll voices. The bass player was energetic and sounded awesome. We did not stay for the whole set, but what we heard was pretty good. The audience seemed happy, too.

We roamed around a little before finally headed for home. I felt it was a nice light for some photos, so I took a couple of more before leaving.

50+ Books, 31 Drawings, and One Amazing Concert

The past couple of years I have been really trying to challenge myself. Some of the challenges were thrust upon me, but many I chose to do. Last year, I finally was able to get out of the driving department, and go into the area I wanted to be. It seemed to take forever to happen, I was doing overtime beyond driving, just to prove I had what it takes to do the job. It did not help that my pain from the car accident got worse for awhile, making it difficult to stay as long as I would have liked, having to make time for doctor appointments and therapy for the pain, but I finally made it. Unfortunately, now my supervisor, who has been a very good fit for me, has decided to move on, leaving me wondering what will happen next.

At the beginning of this year I decided I would finish 3 books. Three that I started years ago, but never finished.  That all changed when I was asked if I was interested in a 50 book reading challenge to be completed within the year.  The reason being, each book had to be from a different category from a given list.  Since Les Misérables was on my personal reading list, I immediately dropped it.  The book is long, and difficult to read, and I did not have the patience to put it with a list of 49 other books.  The other two were fit into other categories, and I figured I would get them both done.  I decided towards the end of the challenge, that I would leave one to finish after the challenge, so I could take more time with it, to enjoy it more.

The challenge started in mid January.  I finished November 11.  I have finished other books since, but I felt really accomplished in having read 50 books!  It wasn't easy for me.  I normally do not read that fast.  I figured out a way to make things work out though.  The challenge helped me find books in categories I might not normally seek out.  I also reread books I had not in years, and felt I got something new out of them.  I found new books I liked, but also realized some popular books are severely overrated.  I wrote reviews for each one as well.  If you are on Goodreads, I think you can view them here: Jackie's Extreme Nerd Reading Challenge Books/Reviews.

If that wasn't enough to keep me busy this year, I also decided to do Inktober, a drawing challenge that happens every year in October.  People from all over the world draw from a prompt list (or create their own), doing one drawing per day.  It started with someone interested in challenging their inking skills.  I tried it last year, but only did a handful of the challenges.  This year, I did every single challenge. There were times it was incredibly difficult to think of something to do, even though the word for the day was already given.  Other times, it was a challenge drawing what I wanted to.  I got through it, though, and hope to do more with my art in the future.  You can see my artwork, and some of my photos from before the challenge here: Jackie's Instagram Inktober Drawings (as well as some photos).

In August, I decided to give myself an early birthday present, and take myself to the Train/Daryl Hall and John Oates concert. I invited my friend Jan, who I have known for many years, but have not done a lot with. I noticed she was interested in going to the same concert through Facebook. I invited her to go, and we had a blast! I have been a forever fan of Daryl Hall & John Oates, and have been to a couple of their concerts. I became a fan of Train around the time they first started, and have wanted to see them in concert, but never have been to a live show.  I do have a DVD of them in concert, however, that cover all my favorite songs from the "Drops of Jupiter" album, but it is not the same as seeing them in person. It was definitely worth it.

Kandace Springs opened the show, and had a lovely beautiful soulful, jazzy sound.  She set a nice calming vibe at the beginning.  I really enjoyed her part of the show.

Even though I did not realize that Pat Monahan is now the only one left in the band since I became a fan, they put on an impressive, high energy show. I also did not realize how long Train has been around. I think it has been about 18 or 20 years!

Train started their set with a song called "Drink Up."  I am not absolutely sure I had heard the song before, but I knew I really liked it, right away. As the show progressed, Pat took selfies of himself with some lucky audience members cell phones, and threw them back (I hope everyone caught their phones okay). Later, he brought out some Train t-shirts, threw some out to the audience in front of him, then put one on. He had each member of the band sign it, while he sang wearing it.  Then he threw it out to the audience.  An older guy who did not seem very excited (probably because he was more a fan of Hall and Oates, maybe?), caught it.  He gave a little smile, then dabbed his head with the t-shirt. Such a shame.  Too bad it wasn't thrown to someone more enthusiastic. The concert went on, and people lit up their cell phones during "When I Look to the Sky."

During a more upbeat song, Pat threw large beach balls out to the audience on the main floor. Everyone was singing, having a great time. Except for maybe the guy with the Train t-shirt, who knows?  They ended their set with my favorite song still, which is "Drops of Jupiter."  It sounded incredible.  I wanted to hear it again right after it was preformed, but I was also excited to hear Daryl Hall & John Oates.  It had been awhile since I had seen them live.

During intermission people were still excited and happy, the arena showed excerpts from Daryl's online show, "Live at Daryl's House."  They showed a clip where he sings with Cheap Trick, several audience members (including myself) waiting for the next set burst into song, "Mommy's alright, daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird...."  It was great.

The seats next to me, that no one was sitting in during the Train concert, filled.  They really missed out, I think.  As Daryl Hall and John Oates are taking the stage, two girls are standing, blocking the view, and talking to each other.  Seriously?  Someone yells, "Sit down!"  They don't do it.  I yell, "Sit down!"  My friend Jan, taps on the guy in front of us, who then quietly asks the girls to sit down. They finally do.

Daryl Hall & John Oates are still amazing in concert.  I was happy because I got to hear some of their more popular songs live, that I hadn't been able to before.  They sang hit after hit after hit.  They also sang a new song, that Train and Daryl Hall and John Oates collaborated on, "Philly Forget Me Not."  I love the song, their voices really blend well together.  They sang a couple of more songs together.  "Wait for Me," a Hall & Oates song, and "Calling All Angels," a Train song.  Pat leaves the stage, and the duo keeps singing. When the set is over, they leave the stage, but are called back for an encore.  They sing three more songs. They finish with "You Make My Dreams."  Even though it is late, I wish the concert wasn't over.  I kind of feel the same way about this year.  It was a pretty good year for me.  So long, 2018.