Pictures

So we had the long awaited Madelyn shoot this month. I also did some pictures in film of various things. And since I don't have a decent scanner, those film shots may never enter the world of the internet. Suffice it to say, I'm improving. Most recently in portraiture and street photography.

Anyway, the Madelyn shoot was done in digital, so I'll post a few of my favorites here. For more, visit my album on Facebook. Action shots somewhere in downtown. Then tattered black clothes against a dark background, which we actually had to do in my cousin's house. Kids came home while we were cutting the clothes on Madelyn, which wasn't nearly as awkward as I thought it would be. A lot of prep time, but I think it was worth it.

Next creative idea: figures fading into the background. I have to buy some make up.

Funny things kids say

Bianca (8) and Camille (6)

Bianca: Andrew, what kind of kid are you going to have?
Andrew: I don't know. What kind of kid do you think I should have?
Bianca: You should have a girl. So we can hang out with her.
Camille: Yes! A girl!
Andrew: Don't you think that by the time I have kids, you'll be too old to hang out with them?
Bianca: No. I plan on living a very long time. Like 96 or something.
Camille: Yeah, me too. I'm going to live a long time.

Andrew: Do you think I should cut my hair?
Bianca: No!
Camille: No.
Andrew: Why?
Bianca: Your bangs looks really cool. (Makes two peace signs.)

Bianca: What are you eating?
Andrew: Do you know what lamb is?
Bianca: Of course I know what lamb is.
Andrew: That's what I'm eating.
Bianca: Animal cruelty! .. But I like lechon (roasted pig) and chicken. And also duck, I love duck. And cow, I love cow.

Bianca: You were late. We've been waiting for you all day.
Andrew: Really? How long have you been waiting?
Bianca: Since 12:42.
Andrew: Wow that's very specific. That's a long time. I told you I would be coming at night. That's not night time.
Bianca: Yeah. We were waiting for you this whole time. We thought you might have forgotten about us.
Andrew: You're silly. Why didn't you call then? You never called.
Bianca: We told mom to call at 12:50 but she didn't.

Andrew: What's your favorite commercial?
Bianca: Swivel Sweeper, right Camille?
Camille: Yeah! The Swivel Sweeper.
Andrew: Do you have one?
Camille: No.
Andrew: Do you think you should get one?
Camille: Yes.
Bianca: We have the mop Swivel Sweeper.
Camille: Yeah, we have the mop one.
Andrew: Oh cool.
Bianca: Every kiss begins with Kay..

Bianca sees a piece of trash near the sidewalk, as we ride bikes toward the park.
Bianca: Oh my gosh! They should have recycled.
Andrew: That's horrible. Maybe we should get a garbage bag and throw it away later.
Bianca: Yeah. At school, if I see trash on the playground, I throw it into the trashcan. And I never throw trash on the ground.
Andrew: That's good.
Bianca: We have to save our planet.

Clay

Internet is out at my house. Been using cousins' places to check email and such. Got a library card today. The library down the street from my house is closed for repairs, so I went to the one on Eldridge. Maybe I should also borrow some books and movies.

I got Bianca (8) and Camille (6) to make lists of things they want for Christmas. Research for my aunt. Anyway, one of the things on Bianca's list was clay. I went over to Texas Art Supply and got her a big block of clay. Not Play-Doh, not Model Magic, real red clay that actual artists use. It also happens to be toxic if you inhale the dust of the dried clay. But it's ok, I wrote her some instructions for safety and proper use. Also got the basic set of tools, a bucket, and plastic to put the clay on. The great thing about clay is that if you don't let it dry out completely, it's endlessly reusable. I brought it to her today and we started playing. I never give them gifts on time, I had already given Camille a set of 120 crayons a few days ago. Showed Bianca how to make a coil pot. She attempted a mug, then she made a girl's head. Camille was very messy. She didn't make anything but blobs of clay, and she called it something different every time.

Camille sometimes uses expressions that don't make complete sense in the context in which she uses them. When I gave her the 120 box of crayons and a oversized coloring book, she said "How dare you get me so many crayons!" To which I replied, "If there's too many, I can take them all back." And she said, "No no no! I'll keep them!"

Visiting those kids is always fun. The other day, I rang the doorbell, and Camille started shouting "It's Andrew! It's Andrew!" Then Bianca and their friend (from next door that was visiting) started shouting too. When I went inside, Camille was jumping up and down, like she had won the lottery. Nobody else ever greets me like that.

I bought Blokus Trigon. It's fun. You should play with me.

Today I saw The Day the Earth Stood Still. I thought it was a surprisingly good movie. You should go watch it.

I thought of an alternative life plan. Basically, I work odd jobs until I can pay off my student loans. Then I save up some dollars, and move to the Philippines. Live on the beach, eating fish and drinking coconut juice for sustenance.

HoneyBaked Ham is really bad about scheduling. Monday I get a call at 10:30am "Can you come in to work?" "Ok.", so I go work for a few hours. Manager says "I'll call you later with the schedule". Tuesday didn't work, drove grandfather to a hospital visit, no calls. Wednesday I get a call at 11:15am "Did they not tell you to come in to work today?" "No." "Can you come in to work for a while?" "Ok." When I go home, he says "Come in at 9:30am tomorrow." "Ok." I wake up on Thursday to go to work, I'm driving to the store, and I get a call "Don't come in to work today, we're training a few new people." "Ok." and I'm thinking this was worse than when they randomly woke me up to work (if I have nothing to do, I sleep until 1-2pm). Later that day, I call in to see if I'm working the next day "No, you're not working tomorrow." And sure enough, they called me Friday (today) at 9:30am "Can you come in to work today?" "What? How long? They said I wasn't working today." "Oh. How about tomorrow, can you work tomorrow?" "What time tomorrow?" "Hold on, let me see." (On hold a minute) "Ok we'll call you about next week." Ridiculous.

Day trip

I spent a long time driving today. Beaumont and back. About 2 hours each way. Drove across the Trinity River to get there. First time I did that. I found the view more intriguing than that of driving across the Colorado River, which is on the way to Austin. Made the trip to do a photo shoot. Just classic portraiture, didn't try anything new or creative. But it was a good shoot, a lot of shots that they liked. Either I'm improving in the field of portraiture, or I keep picking people that any monkey could take good pictures of.

When we were done, went to dinner with them at a Thai place. Probably wasn't a good idea to order something so spicy that I had to drink a lot of water. Then drive back for two hours full of liquids and a strong "need to urinate" sensation. Had to stop at two gas stations on the way back.

After I finish editing the rest of Ling's pictures, I'll have several more hours of pictures to edit. How fun.

And finally the long awaited Madelyn shoot is coming soon. If she becomes famous, I'm going to latch onto that fame by taking her pictures and having her recommend me to other celebrities. This is one of my "leeching" plans.

I replaced my oil paints so that I can start on my new painting. But it seems I won't have time for that in a while. A lot of photography obligations now, and I still have a charcoal drawing that I was supposed to do for my aunt. Also trying to learn some basic baking skills, which I can't do on the same day that I have done any painting. Oil paints and the paint thinner is fairly toxic, and
the smell of it lingers even after I wash my hands thoroughly.

Recently, I attempted to make a cake . Angel food cake with a cream cheese frosting. In the frosting I mixed in chopped strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I had one of my testers try it. The cake failed, but the frosting was good. Next time I want to try a cheesecake.

Today I played a board game called Blokus Trigon. This is a great game. I will purchase it. You will play with me.

Seattle

Well, I went to Seattle last week. From November 13th-18th. Main reason for this trip was to see my grandmother before she dies. We don't know how long we can expect her to live, but I don't like to act on the optimistic side of things, so I decided to see her as soon as possible.

She's actually still well enough to function normally, but she's lazy. All she does is lay in her bed and get up for meals or the bathroom. We've been telling her that she should be more active and eat more so that her health doesn't decline further, but she's quite obstinate. For a while, she would go to the senior center, and we assumed she was taking part in the exercises. But she told Auntie Jane that it was very tiring for her to sit and watch the old people do exercises. Ridiculous. Anyway, she's using oxygen tanks to supplement her breathing and will start on chemotherapy soon.

Grandpa's lifestyle is the same: eat and sleep. He likes to go to the casino and play the video slots. But he doesn't really understand what's going on, so we often have to tell him which button to press. Since I was watching him for a while, I decided I might as well put in a few dollars in the machine I was sitting at, and senselessly press the button for a while. Then I was mesmerized by turning my $20 into $100, and kept playing. I thought to myself, "I will stop when I have a profit of $100." Of course I lost it all before that happened, and was hooked on the silly machine for a while. Then I tried to make up for the loss by playing blackjack, which didn't pan out very well either. Next time, no machines.

So grandpa liked my beef/chicken/vegetable soup. I cooked for them that Friday, and made a huge pot of it. For lunch, I gave him a bowl, and couldn't figure out whether he liked it or not. My poor Chinese and his poor English creates a situation in which we have very poor communication. But when he finished his bowl, he motioned for more, so I gave him another bowl. About three hours later, he came out to have more soup. And two hours after that, more soup again. Auntie Jane and Uncle Rocky liked it too. I was told it was "very healthy and delicious".

I took a picture of the grandparents, and got a picture of myself with grandma. Simple straight-on portraits, nothing fancy. Haven't taken any good pictures of them recently because they're usually opposed to taking pictures.

We went to Pike's Market and walked around the pier. I think Seattle would be a nice place for me to live. Fresh fish and seafood. And I prefer colder climates. Scenery is really nice too. During the fall there's a brilliant landscape of greens, reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.

Phones

I started a part time job. Therefore, I am now only a part time bum.

Working at HoneyBaked Ham until Christmas. Handling phone calls mostly. Think I would be better suited for a task that requires less human interaction. I dread phone calls. Whenever I'm not talking on the phone, I stare at it and hope it doesn't ring. Also, sometimes when I'm on a phone call and the customer is being needlessly talkative, I'm very tempted to just hang up.

So the new plan is to finish the Studio Art degree at UT this spring or summer. If I can't find a decent drafting job soon after that, I'll go to UH for mechanical engineering. Apparently if I have a degree already, it's automatic acceptance.

Going up to Seattle from Nov 13th-18th to visit grandmother. She was recently diagnosed with lung cancer in its final stages.

Shadows and Silhouettes

they are but shadows and silhouettes,
full of shame and regrets.
sinning and repenting,
hopelessly unrelenting.
acting upon greed and lust,
doing whatever they must.
crime and violence;
have they no conscience?
but they know not what they do--
if only that were true.
it's a sad conclusion
of the mind's utter confusion.
yet they are always aware.
always some sense and logic there.
so don't trust what they say,
they'll lie to get their way.
but not all are ruled by vice.
some are moral, some are nice.
though often hard to find,
a few are honest and kind.
they can dry your tears,
help battle your fears.
fight injustice and hate,
save themselves before it's too late.
they are demons and saints,
slight differences of emotional restraint.
a struggle that knows no rest,
they are but shadows and silhouettes.

Candy machine

I thought up a new way to pick up the kids and turn them upside down. Works best with Camille. Starts with her laying face up. With one of my hands, I hold onto both of her hands, and with my other hand, I grab her ankle. Then I lift her up, and swing her like a pendulum. At one end, it's like I'm holding her standing in the air. On the other end, she's completely upside down. For the final swing, I let go of her ankle and she ends up standing. However, due to being disoriented, she usually falls right over. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and when I put her down, she said that we would call it "the candy machine". I'm not sure how the name makes any sense. I asked her why we would name it that, and she said "because it's awesome". Due to the height difference, it doesn't work as well with Bianca. Instead of grabbing the ankle, I use my forearm to support her legs under her knees.

If you try to attempt this with a kid you know, be sure to watch their head so that you don't swing it into the ground or a wall.

Afterwards, my shoulders were sore for a long time. Good strength exercise. The only upper body exercise I ever get is lifting up those kids and spinning/flipping/throwing them around. I intend to do more exercise soon. Mostly running. Need to increase stamina.

Chicken and mushrooms

Today I tried out my latest idea. The essential idea is balls of mushroom and chicken, with cheese in the middle, and deep fried. I used feta cheese, chopped garlic and green onions, and that was mixed with mayo to create a paste. Then chopped up some mushrooms and chicken, and smashed it all together to form balls. After that, added creole seasoning. This was the great flaw of the entire process. The end product turned out to be too salty, so I shouldn't have added the creole seasoning. Anyway, I refrigerated that for a while, then floured and deep fried. First attempts, like I had feared, quickly fell apart. The cheese-mayo paste was useless in keeping the structure together. Luckily I found a metal gravy spoon that was perfect for holding the chicken-mushroom ball, so was able to retain the shape as it was fried. Since this was severely inefficient cooking one at a time, I only did two like that and baked the rest in the oven.

The results, as I mentioned were too salty. However, other than that, they were good. I noticed a saltiness difference between the baked and fried versions. The fried ones tasted significantly more salty than the baked. I'll have to remember that for future experiments.

Probably won't attempt this specific idea again. Though the idea seemed good, it just wasn't satisfying. I still think there's potential for the combination of chicken, mushroom, feta cheese, garlic, and green onions. Perhaps a pizza would be the best method (also adding olives, tomatoes, and spinach). Or within a nice bread, like a croissant.

Think I'll make my spicy beef and vegetable soup next week. Quite healthy; and tasty too. I'll need to take in more nutrients than I have been if I want to do more training. Mostly working on running.

An uneventful Halloween again. Perhaps I'll actually make a costume for next year. I'm thinking Iron Man. And I'll also try to think of a design for a Transformer, which was a request. I'm sure I could do it, but I usually get very lazy about my creative projects. I have a few requests from years ago yet to be fulfilled.

Tricks

So today we discovered that Camille can hold my hands, climb up my legs, stomach, and chest to have me suspend her upside down, then continue the rotation to essential do an assisted back flip. This also works with Bianca as well, but is a bit harder due to the differences in height and arm length. With Camille, I can also lift her up as she ascends, so that instead of ending upside down, she climbs onto my shoulders. I wonder if she would be able to jump off onto the ground from there. If I'm about 5' 7", then my shoulders should be around 4' 6" or so. That's relatively high considering her height, but she would probably do it. She's like a monkey.

I made some hash today. I think that's what I'll call it. Red potatoes, zucchini, yellow onion, green onion, garlic, olive oil, garlic salt. Chopped up and cooked in a large frying pan, then added cheese when done. Made a large batch and ate some for lunch. Then brought the rest to Edward's house. Edward and Soc tested it and liked it. Bianca and Camille didn't try any. Since the refrigerated and reheated batch got good reviews, I consider this latest creation a success. Yay.

Here's a picture of myself and Bianca. Taken by cousin Marlon during the last party. Marlon recently took up photography a few months ago, and has better gear than me. I worked through it in Photoshop a bit; cropped, color adjustments, brightness and contrast, then some excess editing for effect. Best picture I have with Bianca. I visit them often, but we're usually too busy playing so I don't even bring a camera. Think I'll do some portraits of them next week.

Television

During dinner, Bianca sang along with a commercial on television.
"You watch too much tv. How many commercials can you sing along with?"
"I don't know. Sometimes I want to say, 'Star Furniture! The sale of the year!' "

So our friends' kid's birthday party was at Zube Park. When did Sam Houston Tollway become $1.50? That's crazy. Filipino parties are nice. There's always good food. Sometimes there are oddities like beef swimming in pig's blood (which I have yet to try), but there's never a shortage of good food. Zube Park has a miniature train for people to ride on, which goes through part of the park. I rode this train twice, watching over a kid. I think it would have been more fun if I were allowed to stand up and attempt to maintain a surfing pose for the duration of the trip.

Pink, red, yellow, and green

My new recipe!

Ingredients:
salmon, red potatoes, squash, zucchini, garlic, green onions, garlic salt, lemonade, olive oil, shredded cheese

Directions:
-Slice red potatoes, squash, and zucchini into thick half-circles
-Finely chop garlic and green onions
-Place the salmon into a baking pan. Surround salmon with red potatoes, squash, and zucchini. Spread chopped garlic and green onions throughout.
-Pour about one cup of lemonade into the pan. This is for flavor and to keep the salmon moist.
-Drizzle olive oil over salmon and vegetables.
-Season everything with garlic salt.
-Bake in oven at 375º for 25 minutes. Take out of oven to remove most of the liquid. Leave enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan. Return to oven, and bake until vegetables are all fully cooked.
-After vegetables are done, add shredded cheese on top. Whichever cheese you prefer. The best combination for the dish is probably mozzarella or swiss. Bake until cheese melts.
-Serve warm.

Amount of each ingredient used is dependent upon your personal taste. Be sure that your salmon has been scaled, and that you thoroughly wash all produce.

Comedic love poem

i'll be yours,
if you'll be mine.
be there for you
anywhere, anytime.
and if you decide
to keep me by your side,
you need not worry at all.
i'll catch you if you fall,
hold you tight
if you're scared at night,
wipe your tears if you cry.
and if a villain should try
to treat you poorly,
they will regret it sorely.
for their head will meet
my fists and feet.
and they will bleed
until their pupils recede.
then none will ever dare
to holler at you or stare.
we'll be happy and feared.
it will be lovely, my dear.
i'll be yours,
if you'll be mine.
be there for you
anywhere, anytime.

Rejected

"Dear Andrew (wanderng),

Thank you for taking the time to apply as a contributor with iStockphoto.com.

The iStock administrators have asked that you upload new samples based on the feedback provided below. You're welcome to return in 3 days, upload some new samples and we'll re-process your application.

Comments from the iStockphoto Administrator:

At this time we regret to inform you that we did not feel the overall composition of your photography or subject matter is at the minimum level of standard for iStockphoto. Please take some time to review training materials, resources and articles provided through iStockphoto. The photographs provided in your application should be your best work. Try and impress us, we want to see how you stand out from the crowd.

We welcome you to return in the number of days specified and upload 3 fresh samples of your work and we will re-process your application.

For more information on Composition and Impact, please see:
http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=13

For more information on Suitable Stock Photography, please see:
http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=146



Thank you for your time and effort.

Best Regards,
iStockphoto.com"


...

So, these are the photos I submitted for samples. I think these are better than some of the photos they have up there. Oh well.

Old pictures

Working on editing my old film scans. The scanner picked up a lot of dust/scratches/artifacts in the images, so I have to digitally brush over those areas to make it look right. It's very tedious, and takes a long time. But when I finish, I can make a nice poster-sized print.

Here is one of the pictures I'm working on.

















I believe this was from the end of winter in 2007, UT's ART building.

Others are night shots from around Sugar Land. I have to clear out more room on my computer.. because it keeps telling me the virtual memory is low.

This morning I sent in an application to sell photos from istockphoto.com .. if that goes through, hopefully I can make a bit of cash through that. Stock photography is taking photos that will be used by other people/designers however they see fit (within certain copyright limitations) in their designs/photo illustrations. Problem is, I never really take photos with the intention of them being used for stock photography. I photograph complete compositions, that are often not ideal for further post-processing. Still, worth a try and maybe I'll get a wider audience looking at my work.

I had an idea of organizing photography road trips. Gather some photographers, and drive. Stop whenever somebody sees something worth taking a picture of. I have a few people that are interested. So after I get a job and acquire the necessary funds, we'll get the actual plans going.

Kids

The other day, Bianca told me I should vote for McCain. Why? Because Obama made a promise to raise taxes. Bianca said we don't want more taxes because it's extra money that we have to pay. That sounds logical to me. But should I really cast my vote in the stead of an 8 year old?

Camille's birthday party was today. Her birthday was on September 23rd, she turned 6. I got her a stuffed animal. A big one. It's a horse. I think it's funny to give kids gifts that are bigger than they are. It was a prize from Dave & Buster's, and it took a long time to earn enough tickets for the stuffed animals I had in mind. Mostly won tickets playing the Jumpin Jackpot. Very tiring. I finally got the jackpot in the end. I rule. Then when I asked about the horses, I asked if there were any in the back of a different color, as I didn't think black or gray would go over well with Camille. And the lady tells me there's a slightly smaller one, 2000 tickets cheaper than the ones on display. So I got a nice brown horse which is still very large, and wasted about two hours in Dave & Buster's. Oh well. Gave her the horse a week or two early. She really liked it. Said she slept with it and took it with her in the bathroom. Now I can't touch that horse. Germs.

Her birthday party was at Bounce U. It's an indoor place with large inflatable.. things. The same stuff that they make moonwalks from. There was a large slide, an obstacle course, a boxing ring with oversized boxing gloves, and an arena for throwing foam balls at each other. I tried several times to run up the large slide, but couldn't make it to the top before the slippery surface caused me to fall. The adults had a relay race that I participated in. Through the obstacle course, climb up the stairs of the slide, slide down, and run back to tag the next person. For the first set, I was paired with my cousin Edward. He went first, and gave us a lead in the beginning. But my opponent gained the lead at the beginning of the slide. There's only enough room for one person to go up the stairs of the slide at a time; it's a narrow opening beside the slide part, with inflatable steps and a strap along the side to go up. I was pretty sure it wouldn't be legal to drag his leg to pull him down and climb over him, so we lost. Next relay race was of two teams of three, but all the kids were playing in the obstacle course. It was declared by one of their parents, that the kids would simply act as more obstacles of the course. A little crazy? Maybe Filipinos just have a strong belief in the toughness of their kids. Nobody got injured, and my team won the race. Hooray.

So later on the adults were teasing me. They were all talking in Tagalog, and I said to Edward, "They're all talking in code." So one of them translates the previous story into English. And Mau tells me, "I'll teach you something. Say 'maganda ka'." I happen to know 'maganda', so I guess the other part and reply "very beautiful"? (It actually translates to "you are beautiful.") She says "Ooh thank you!" and one of the guys asks if I think she's pretty. Which is not something I thought would be good to answer either way. Then they start telling me she's single, BUT has a kid, and that I'm "looking for a girlfriend, right?" For some reason, Edward chimes in and says that I take really good pictures. Which leads to them talking about how Mau should pose for some nude pictures, and that her photos would need some digital rendering. They're a fun, silly bunch. Definitely didn't expect that line of dialogue at my 6 year old niece's birthday party.

Pinata

Why is it that ham comes from pigs, but hamburgers are from cows?

Applying to a lot of jobs through careerbuilder.com and I find that there are very few openings available to people with no experience or degree. I probably should've taken the oppurtunity I had a few months ago. Oh well.

Maybe I should look for jobs in other fields. I think welders get a decent wage. I can weld.

With my abundant free time, I'm considering finally making myself a Halloween costume. I was telling Bianca about my idea to make a costume using papier-mâché, and she said I could be a pinata. My original plan was to make molds of my head and have an extra head or two coming out of my shoulders. But the pinata along with a baseball bat as a prop would be a more humorous approach. However, I would be much less mobile. And I might be subject to random whacks to my person.

Bianca has a surprising knowledge of colors. Two years ago when I asked what her favorite color was, she said fuschia. What kind of 6 year old kid knows of the color fuschia? The other day, I asked her what color her shirt was. I expected her to say blue. But she answered with the more accurate answer, turquoise. I definitely didn't know these things when I was 8. My world only consisted of the primary and secondary colors, plus white, black, brown, and pink. There was nothing beyond or between that. Perhaps in time, I shall train her to be an artist.

Conspiracy. ch1 s1

(Title is subject to change)

"They're following me."
"What? Who is following you?"
"Some guys in sleek suits. They're very careful and don't want me to know they're watching, but they're everywhere."
"Some stalkers? I told you man, if you don't get a girlfriend soon you're going to be sending out some homosexual vibes. If that's all this is, we could've done this over the phone. It was a long drive. You better pick up the check when we're done."
"Shut up and listen to me. I think it's the government, they're after me. I needed to talk to you in person, they might be listening to my phone calls."
"Which government? And why would they be after you?"
"Not so loud! They might hear you. I don't know what government, but they're always there, they seem to be following me all the time. Act casual."
I wasn't sure what to think. Michael was acting stranger than usual and seemed very agitated. I started to slowly look around the room for anybody that looked suspiciou...
"No! What are you doing? Look at me! You can't let on that you know we're being watched. I don't know what they're capable of, and I don't want to find out."
"Ok. Tell me what this is all about. Why would they be interested in you?"
"I can't say. The less you know, the better off you'll be. But I need your help."
"Whatever. I'll help you out, but if I find out you're just messing with me, you'll owe me more than lunch. What do you need?"
"Your car and some cash. I need to disappear for a while. If I can lose them, maybe I have a chance."
"Are you insane? I'm not giving you my car. What's wrong with your car?"
"I think my car has been bugged and is being tracked. It's not safe anymore. We'll switch cars and you'll throw them off my trail. Since you don't know anything, maybe they won't do anything to you when they realize you're a decoy. By then I'll have a good head start."
"That's ridiculous. Your car is worthless to me. Where are you going? If you really don't want to drive your own car, you can drive mine. But I'm coming with you."
"No, it's not safe. I don't want to involve you in this, it's too dangerous. Just give me your car and some cash. I'll pay you back when I can."
Michael glanced past my shoulder and an intense look came over his face. It was panic.
"Listen to me and do exactly as I say. They're here. I think they're going to make a move."
"Why do you think that?"
"The guy behind you just pulled out a gun."
I instinctively jumped out of my chair and started running for the front door.
Michael yelled, "Idiot! I had a plan! Start the car!"
I ran into several people and knocked over a few chairs and tables. Everyone else in the restaurant started running out too. Whether it was because they saw a man with a gun, or because they saw us running, I don't know. Michael ran towards the back door. I made it to my car and got the engine going. I opened the passenger door for Michael, and could see him running from the back of the building. Nobody was chasing him. Luckily, his pursuer must have gotten stuck in the chaos. Michael jumped into the car.
"Charlie! Drive!"
"I'm going to kill you later for this!"
I drove out and rushed towards the nearest freeway. I didn't stop for any lights or signs, I just drove through everything I could. There were honks and screams from the cars behind us, but we didn't care. Better to have some strangers angry than to have us dead. When we went through a red on 22nd and Main, a car almost crashed into us. I sped up to avoid the impact, and the other car swerved to only graze our back bumper. The truck in the next lane ran into them, causing the whole intersection to be blocked with subsequent collisions.
"Good. That should slow them down."
"Ok Michael, we're about to get onto the freeway. It's time for you to explain why you got me into this."
"I told you, it's not safe for you to know. Just drive."
"The hell it isn't safe! I don't care what you say, I almost died back there and have no idea why! Tell me what's happening."
"Just trust me, it's not safe. After we drive a while, you can drop me off and I'll get a car. Then you can go home and forget about me."
"Fine, we'll do it your way. How far do you want to go?"
"I'm not sure, at least an hour or two after we lose the guy that's tailing us."
"The guy in the restaurant? We lost him back there, there was nobody behind you when you got in the car. And nobody could've gone through that intersection after us."
"Not him. The black car to the left lane, five vehicles behind us."
"What!? Why didn't you say something earlier?"
"I thought you knew."
I had calmed down from my initial panic, and had slowed down without realizing it. But now I sped up, taking my car to the limits of what it was capable of. The adrenaline was flowing through my body, and I was shaking hysterically. I couldn't understand why Michael would come to me for something like this. I am the worst person to have around in an emergency. I was probably the only person that might have let him use my car. Really should've just given him the car. Didn't think my life would be in danger back then. Now I'm stuck in the middle of his troubles, and he won't even tell me what I'm risking my life for. All I could think of was the events of the day, and it replayed in my mind over and over again.
"I can't see that black car anymore. I think we lost him."
"Hey Charlie, pull up next to that truck and open the window."
I slowed down to keep pace with the truck, and opened the window for Michael.
"Give me your cell phone."
I handed him my phone, and he threw it in the back of the truck along with his.
"What was that for?"
"They must have been tracking me by using my phone. That should throw them off for a while. I hope that truck is going somewhere far away."
"Why did you have to dump mine too?"
"If they saw your face, they might look for you to get to me. We don't know if they got a good look at you, but if they did, it's best to be cautious."
"Michael, if you drag me further into this, I'll kill you myself."
"That's fine with me. Take the next exit, we'll need more gas."
We filled up the gas without incident. Switched drivers because I was getting tired. It had already been two hours since we fled the restaurant, but it felt like we had been running for an entire day. I was physically exhausted and my head was spinning with everything that happened. I started to fall asleep as Michael drove. The sky was getting dark and night was falling. We didn't have a destination, just a lot of places where we didn't want to be. For now, we were safe. And with that thought of hope, I was able to fall asleep.
When I woke up, it was already morning, just a few hours before sunrise. Michael was still driving, and we were going fast. His body was rigid and his eyes were bloodshot and glazed over. He must have been driving for over nine hours straight.
"You ok? I think we can go somewhere and rest. We lost that black car a long time ago."
"We can't stop. They're everywhere. The dark blue car five cars back is following us."
"That's impossible. We lost them a long time ago, and we dumped our phones. They can't track us anymore. How long has the blue car been following us?"
"Since a few minutes ago. Before that, it was another car. They keep switching vehicles and drivers so that we don't suspect them. They want us to feel safe and stop. But they can't trick me like that."
I suddenly realized that Michael had gone crazy. And for a while, he had taken me with him. I had been acting according to his fears and got wrapped up in his panic. But there was the man in the restaurant that pulled out a gun. I can't ignore that.
"Michael, what kind of gun did the guy in the restaurant have?"
"I don't know, I didn't see it."
"Then how do you know he pulled it out?"
"He reached into his suit, and was holding something. He was starting to pull it out when we ran."
Yes. Definitely crazy. We caused a panic clearing everybody out of the restaurant, created a multiple car collision, and drove hundreds of miles towards the middle of nowhere. Now I was hours away from home, with a lunatic behind the wheel. I had to do something to make things right. But it was obvious that I couldn't restore his sanity myself. He was too far off the edge to be pulled back by me. I would need to take him to psychiatric professionals.
"Ok Michael, this is what we have to do. Switch over to the lane farthest to the left. Then when we near the next exit, cut across all the lanes, and take the exit. The car tailing us will either get stuck and miss the exit, or won't see us past all the other cars and will chase a ghost for several miles. We'll fill up more gas, and I'll take over driving so you can sleep."
"That's a good plan Charlie. Now you're thinking straight."
I don't know what got Michael so spooked that he's become like this, but I'll get him fixed. As soon as he falls asleep, I'll look for a psychiatric ward and have him committed. I need to solve this before he drags more people into his psychosis. I'll fix everything.

to be continued..

The bum

i scream without a sound,
i sing without a tune.
my hands touch the ground,
feet planted on the moon.
i live in a place
that has no name,
and smile with a face
that holds no shame.
i exist in a memory,
found lost in thought.
floating on a melody
time nearly forgot.
i fly with fish
and swim with birds,
often use language
that is quite absurd.
neither here nor there,
dancing in the wind.
i'm wandering without care,
with a silly little grin.


So I've decided to create a new blog. The old Xanga account is too cluttered, and I don't like the look of the Xanga homepage.


Anyway, I am currently a bum. Looking for work as a CAD drafter. Computer Aided Design. I would be the guy that would draw designs for buildings on the computer, based on the sketches of other people. Ideal job for a guy like me who has extensive experience with photo editing programs and a general inclination towards any sort of drawing. I took classes to learn AutoCAD and MicroStation, the main two programs for drafting that most big companies are using now. So now I'm just looking for a job.

For a while I was just generally wasting time in this period of inactivity. Watching anime, reading manga, playing online games, watching movies and television. And more than anything else, I visit my cousin Edward and his kids Bianca and Camille. There were times when I visited them several days in a row. Those kids never get tired of me. They're 8 and 6 now, and enjoy playing computer games and video games. They take tae kwon do classes, and are as active as little monkeys. They both like being carried (approximately 50 lbs and 30 lbs) and spun around. That gets tiring for me, but I think it's good exercise; and for them it's "totally awesome". There will probably be stories about them later on.

Some recommendations:
anime: Samurai 7, Claymore
manga: Black Lagoon
movies currently in theatre: The Dark Knight, Burn After Reading
television: Prison Break, Heroes. Both of these can be watched online to catch up.

I've decided to be more productive and will begin on a few projects soon. There are several projects that I've been putting off for a while, and it's time to get those done.
-Aunt Sally wants a charcoal portrait of herself. Requested a few years ago. Progress: 0%. I somewhat started, but the paper got bent, so I have to start over.
-Painting for Kristel. She probably doesn't remember, and I don't know how long ago it was requested. I started and got pretty far, but the colors are off and it needs a lot of work.
-Ling's pictures. Need to edit and upload, but my computer is on the fritz.
-Update Siror website. I need to change some text, remove some pictures and add some others.
-Children's book about butterflies. I have the text done, but I haven't started on the illustrations. It's going to be watercolor over ink.
-Edit old film scans. After I edit these, I can print them large for future framing and display.
-Shoot some positive film for slides. I have a lot of rolls of positive film that I need to use before they go bad. Positive film is the opposite of negative film.
-Teach Bianca and Camille how to paint
-Wood carving. I have a few ideas in my head. I just have to find my carving tools.
-Ice drawings. New concept I came up with, will explain below.

So I recently came up with an idea to do ice drawings. Here's the general process:
1. Make a wooden frame and line the inside with a waxy substance.
2. Place the wooden frame on top of a plastic base.
3. Mix food coloring with water to make different colors.
4. Use a few drops of the colored water to draw a small portion of the image on the plastic base.
5. Freeze the whole thing.
6. Repeat 3-5 until the piece is complete.
7. Remove the piece from the plastic base and the wooden frame.
8. Photograph, then freeze indefinitely for storage.

It's a slow and tedious process, but I think it will be a unique and worthwhile medium.



I'll be writing the beginnings of a short story or novel here. We'll see how that goes.