Carpal Tunnel, much?

I just finished up two projects in the last couple days. My league is holding a contest to redesign our team and league logos. I had planned all along to slowly work on a couple entries over a week or so, but in typical Obsessive Flutterby fashion, nailed these down in one long stretch for each. Really only about 3 - 5 hours for each; but the vector rendering process is super detailed and requires huge fine-motor control. My poor mouse hand is about dead and I'm sure tomorrow will bring an awesome bout of Carpal Tunnel my way as my entire hand is numb and shaky at the moment.

But dang... I still love this kind of work. I might not be amazingly skilled at it, but I am happy with what I submitted and hope to maybe be awarded one of the logos. In a way, I'm feeling a little sentimental about it and kinda hoping that something I contributed to the league will live on after I'm not skating anymore. I played for both teams at one time or another and would be honored to have the girls skating with my CREATIVE GENIUS (*cough cough* *smirk*) on their jerseys. :) There are a ton of talented artists in the derby community and in our league, though, it's hard to say how many entries there will be and whether mine will even stand a chance. Regardless, it was nice to immerse myself in this kind of rendering work again.

This is the logo I designed for the Gravediggers, our B Level Team. I'm still not totally happy with it... might do some refining on it and change up the ring or something.


And this one is for our Sugar Skull All-Star Team.

My prrreccciiiiooouuus...

About four years ago, it was decided that I would sell my piano. (and that's about the nicest way I can put it...) My piano wasn't anything special in terms of value; It was a small apartment-size Canadian-made piano with heavy keys and a solid cast iron frame. This soundboard frame was amazing -- I swear this piano could survive a bomb blast and still stay in tune. In all the 20 years that I played it, it was tuned once and stayed beautifully tuned throughout.

Unfortunately because of this amazing cast iron component; it was also a beast of a piece to move and this ultimately lead to Mr.F. requesting that it no longer belong to us. I wasn't happy to comply, but sometimes you do stuff cause you love someone (like move a beastly instrument to it's new abode a half dozen times) and this was my turn to be the one to make a sacrifice. The idea at the time was that I would get to purchase a smaller keyboard or digital piano in it's place -- something that wouldn't break a back when it came time to move again.

It was a great consolation idea, but the years went by and it seemed that the extra money was hard to come by. Or, when it was there -- it was hard to decide to spend it on something as frivolous as an instrument just for me.

I have missed playing a lot. Not just as an outlet for that creative or sensitive side of me; but also because it was often one of those elements that was a huge spiritual connection for me, too. And while I've felt the absence of this in my life, it's definitely been on my mind and heart a lot this past year more than ever.

Which made the timing absolutely perfect this Mother's Day, when I opened up a card to find a printed photo of a keyboard and a note about starting a search for what I wanted. Cue tears. And, this past Friday, after a bit of a search and a rather dramatic set-up to be able to buy it; I purchased a keyboard workstation that is beyond my hearts' desire. This thing is amazing. Dreamy. It blows my mind that it is mine.



Unfortunately, I don't have it just yet. I bought it used and a friend in another city did the transaction for me. It's going to be a few weeks before I see her and can pick it up from her. So until then, I am walking around with a goofy smile on my face and wondering just how it is that I was able to go all this time without playing... cause it's pretty much all that's on my mind.

*eep!*

Once again I have been a bad, bad blogger. :(

But I've been busy. Shortly after the Kid's birthday, I took the Princess and her two besties on a road trip to Edmonton, AB. We met up with my bestie (teehee... one of the main reasons I love this particular road trip!) and chaperoned this load of great kids at a youth event for the weekend.

Outside of the crazy 10,000 glowstick intro, awesome bone-shaking music, fun times and once again a terrific time to reconnect with some important things in life... I added one more truly Incredible, Never-To-Be-Forgotten experience into the mix.

I got old.

Like, Seized up my back after an evening of shaking and headbanging. That kind of old. Like, holy crap, I actually can't even get myself outta bed Old.

I would spare myself all the embarrassing details, but that wouldn't be any fun. Here is what you all have to look forward to one day when you are old enough to have this happen to you. Take notes. I never thought it would happen to me. It did. It just may one day happen to you.

- You will not be able to physically manipulate your body to leverage anything out of the bed in the morning. Your child will have to slowly push you off the edge in such a way that you can get your feet underneath yourself before you fully collapse on the floor and are thereby totally effed.

- You will not even be able to hobble. You will APPROXIMATE a hobble as you make your way to the washroom to get ready.

- You will stare at the toilet and sincerely WISH you could empty your bladder. But that is clearly not in the cards right at that moment.

- You may then look at the shower longingly, but soon realize that that, also, will not be happening as it involves lifting a foot off of the floor.

- You will shuffly/hobble/lurch back to bed and make a couple attempts to lay down.

- Your child will look at you funny and ask what's wrong.

- You will look at your child funny and sneer "NOTHING. I'm fine."

- At this point, you will hopefully have a savior arrive as I did, with Extra Strength Muscle Relaxants.

- You will down two and then question whether that was wise to do so on an empty stomach.

- *drool* zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

- You will ponder the meaning of life and why it is that you hear angels singing. Your pillow looks like a cloud. Is this heaven?

- You are stoned.

- Finally, with the full effect of narcotics and an extra large coffee, you will be able to move. And you will fully enjoy all the weird effects of being high on said pharmeceuticals.

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For the record, I am still hurtin. This has been a year-long saga for me since I injured my back last summer. I'm kinda at a loss at what to do, but it's pretty much making certain parts of life rather miserable. I just make some headway and then something happens to wreck it up again. And it gets a little worse on the Wrecked Up side of things each time and seems to take longer to get feeling good again, too. I've done chiro and massage... any suggestions for this old-timer?

I have decided (as in an actual, REAL decision) that this is my last season of derby. I have cried many tears over this, but it's time. For many reasons. But I can't deny that this sport is a big part of the whole injury/healing/injury/healing cycle I'm in. That and behaving like a fool at rock concerts.

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The Princess' musical was really great and we are now moving into "grad" season. Which means, next year is high school for my little girl. Double EEP. I think that this year of parenting has been one of the most surreal and stressful ones. I've come to the conclusion that I must've really thought that she would never grow-up... cause this is all taking me by storm. But, we're getting through it the best way we know how, and are blessed thus far with a really terrific teenager.

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The Kid is now armed to the teeth after his birthday. He scored a compound bow and a slick Airsoft handgun for his birthday. The archery bug must run in the family -- both his paternal grandparents are highly ranked archers. And, it looks like Mr F might be also picking up a bow and setting off on this little adventure with the Kid. Good times.

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In a quick change-up, it has been decided that the Kid will be heading back to public school in the fall. He's actually rather excited for it, but I'm sure also a little nervous. His last experiences there weren't necessarily the greatest. However, he has grown and matured a lot in this past year and a half and I think he senses that he's up to the challenge. And he's definitely looking forward to having schoolmates and some different activities in his life.

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I've been giving some thought to heading back to school, myself. But, I need to think on it some more before I go spouting off ideas and dreams. :)