While all I really wanted to do was lay down and crash in my big ol’ comfy bed, my beautiful young bride wanted desperately to have an adult conversation and get out of the house. So we loaded up and headed to our favorite haunt, the bookstore. Bookstore coffee is the most expensive coffee in the whole wide world. Of course all of the books that come with it make it worth while.
After looking at all of the things that Becky had circled in the brochures, I opted for the ones that were *NOT* on the Texas Tech campus. My wife would burst into Crimson and Cream flames if I stepped foot on anything Red Raiderish. The Buddy Holly Center was on the way home. I got there just before closing time, so I ran through it pretty quick. I was able to get a few sketches in though. They had his cub scout uniform and his crayons from when he was a child, his baseball mit, some love letters, all of his 45’s (because many will not know what a 45 is). They have some of the memorabilia from the crash, including his overnight back with photos of the contents. Outside, there is a huge pair of glasses next to the marquee.
When I finally got home around midnight, I had enough energy to draw the EDM challenge, “Draw something Mom”. I didn’t have the energy to upload it and blog it. Long drives like that (5.5 hours + dinner and a nap = 7 hours) wear me out. I argued with myself about posting all of these pictures into one blog for Friday night. I thought I might be violating some unwritten ethics. Then I decided that it was my blog and I would make the rules up as I see fit. So, since I drew and journaled every night, you get three posts.
Business took me out of town for a couple of days, but I continued with the challenges while I was away. I went to the lovely town of Lubbock, TX. Becky, the desk clerk of the Homewood Suites was very helpful in suggesting some sites to sketch while I was there. Unfortunately, I was only going to be there for one night and one day. That would mean that a trip to the local canyon at sunrise/sunset would be out of the question. The EDM challenge that night was to draw a fire hydrant. It was 2:00 a.m., 40ºF and I didn’t even bring a jacket. I captured the essence of the hydrant and ran back in to the room. Still not tired enought to sleep, I read a little of Danny Gregory’s “The Creative License.” Then I broke out my sketchbook and drew the bedside lamp and the TV. When I awoke the next morning, along with my bill I found several brochures that Becky had gone through and marked for me. Some of them looked really neat. I will have to schedule time to go back down there.
“The biggest problem with using your blog to journal is that when you can’t be home or have no internet, then your journal is not kept current. But just because you are in a motel room 500 miles away from all that you love, doesn’t mean you can’t update your journal!“
Girl2’s skin is extremely pale and translucent. She gets that from her mother. My beautiful young bride and I were lounging around one summer night when the moths started dive bombing her. Her skin was so pale that it was the brightest thing in the moonlight. Unfortunately, Girl2 also got my allergies. This time of year, as the days get longer and the warm air starts blowing up from the Gulf of Mexico bringing with it just enough moisture to keep the pollen afloat, we are all itchy, sneezy and watery. If we are paying attention, the bridge of her nose will turn purple from the swollen sinuses underneath. That’s our cue to medicate. If we miss it, then she gets an ear infection in both ears. Another lovely trait she picked up from dear, old Dad.
Sometime around 1900, someone decided to add an upstairs to my house. The stairwell is not quite 36″ wide. The upstairs was carved into four bedrooms that were pretty much mirror images of each other. They added a front porch in the 30’s and extended the front bedroom over the porch. Sometime after that, someone decided to add indoor plumbing to the upstairs. They carved a bathroom out of one the bedroom closets. The fixtures in that bathroom just barely fit in there by themselves, let alone once a person has walked in. The sink that was in that bathroom when we bought the house was 23 inches from front to wall. I can’t tell you how many times one of us would hit our forehead on it while ascending or descending upon the throne. As soon as I could I ripped that sucker outta there and replaced it with this “anteeky” looking model that is only 13″ deep. No more headaches in the middle of the night.
