If you want to know what my story is all about, you can view my profile page here: KwaS
For reasons too confusing to understand the "Hello My Name is Jeff Vader" merchandise has been relocated to Printfection.com.
The move added a few dozen more items and in some cases lowered the pricing.
I really wanted to make a blanket for my friends' new baby Anna, but time was of the essence if I was to send it with my friends who were headed to visit them in London (a five-hour drive away -- this was going to save me a lot of gas or a lot of postage). So I bought some thick, quick-knit, fuzzy, soft baby yarn in a variegated pastel colour pattern and I started to crochet like mad. But I made two fairly major errors: (1) I used an inappropriately small crochet hook, and (2) I didn't crochet into the turning stitch. Turns out you have to do that, or your piece gets less and less wide as you go.
Because of these errors, I found that I was crocheting a wedge.
Here is a photo of me and my unintentionally wedge-shaped baby blanket:
I was committed, though, so I decided to keep on rocking. I figured I could maybe crochet along the sides or something to make it rectangular when I was finished. However, it turns out I'm not really skilled enough to do that. Knowing that the couple to whom I was sending this project had a sense of humour and were more likely to be touched that I had tried to make their baby something than horrified at the bizarrely shaped result, I solved the problem the only way I could think of: I crocheted some (faintly lopsided) sleeves at the narrow end and called it a "dress-shaped baby blanket." It's a theme. Yeah?
You know of those rear-enders that you can see coming in your rear view mirror? I saw one coming in my rear view mirror this morning on The 101 freeway.
I saw a damaged off-white older Toyota pickup with a shell on the back approaching way too fast. The driver hadn't noticed that my lane had slowed to a stop for a few moments, even though all the other lanes were still moving. Next, I heard screeching tires and saw the smoke from the pressure applied to the brakes. I watched the car sort of veer from side to side in order to slow down but not enough to leave the lane. I remained calm and just prepared for impact.
Then it was quiet.
The car behind me stopped mere inches behind me and a couple seconds later, my lane started moving again. I drove on and watched my rear view mirror and I as drove away, untouched. The driver changed lanes and as the guy passed me (quickly) on my left, I was left with the smell of burnt rubber.
I am a defensive driver and I try to give cars, especially visibly-damaged ones, a wide berth on the road. Even this doesn't prevent all possible collisions. Sometimes I can't do anything but trust others' ability to either pay attention to where they are going or react in time if they don't. I can do that or I can figure out a way to get one of these for my next car.
Fully-loaded WITH the voice-activated Bat Shield.
You know you want one too.
Today I finished blocking the Clapotis I have been working on for my grandmother:
I can't stop sharing how much I enjoyed watching it. I was also so pleasantly surprised! Being in the animation industry I am always critical of things like that. I'm not saying I'm the end all be all of animation, but I'd like to think I know what I'm doing/saying!
This is a film that everyone can enjoy. It can also be said it is this years Iron Giant. I feel traditonal animation will always be around. Maybe not as prevalent as it used to be, but it is an art form that everyone will always appreciate and enjoy.
To go back to the film, the way that Anderson made this film to not be strictly "by the book" but something Dahl would completely agree he did it justice. The props, maquettes, the writing, the pacing, the colors, the effort, the 4+ years was just all there on screen. Mind you this is not a blockbuster, but a classic for years to come.
In the New York Magazine they feature the Fox family front and center. The article covers a short interview with Anderson and the work that went into making the film. Such an endeavor will always get noticed. For example each maquette has levers/pedals inside the face to create close up expressions, and highly detailed armature that is composed of Allen joints, pipes, silicone, stockings, goat fur and much much more. You can understand the love and care that went into each figure. I would have loved to work on this film personally. -sigh-
Someday I am determined to have my own animation company and I hope to produce at least one stop-motion/animated feature. I don't see it happening anytime soon, but it will happen mind you! XD
Back to Fantastic Mr Fox! I also picked up the The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox: A Film by Wes Anderson Based on the Book by Roald Dahl. This is a great book to have. It has every little thing you would be interested in knowing about the film. It has interviews, details of how each character was made, the process of working with Anderson overseas, storyboards, sketches, notes, illustrations, concept art, etc etc etc. If you are looking for a gift to give someone who loves animation, is artsy, or would like to get into the whole world of animation I would purchase this book for them. The best deals can be found online for future reference. hehe.
Anywho, I'm hoping my friend Ceci bothers me to see this film so I have an excuse to see it for the third time.
SUPPORT GREAT FILMS!
XOXO
Well, my vacation is over - all ten days in a blink of an eye. This was the first vacation that I've taken since Evy was born and it was a bit of an eye opener. The biggest difference is that we couldn't simply drop everything - we had to maintain some kind of schedule and that kind of sucked. I was looking for that...vegetation period I've always had with vacations. But, no use crying over split milk - this is parenthood and I wanted it!
Tuesday we tried to go to Disneyland - but we were silly in thinking we were the only ones on vacation. The park was packed and we ended up leaving after three rides and a stroll around California Adventure. A big part was that I really wasn't feeling "it". I was initially excited to get out of the house just with Paul (we'd left Evy with my parents) but once we were going I didn't feel like talking much and I felt really "blah". Such a waste :( I also really missed Evy! Seeing so many cute cuddly kids at Disneyland while mine was at home was killing me. But the fact is that we can't ride hardly any rides unless we take someone with us, which we couldn't this time. Luckily, we got out of paying for parking because their credit card machine was down so I didn't feel that obligated to stay and make our $14 count. Unluckily, we hit traffic on the way home and after three hours of stop-and-go with our manual transmission we were pooped.
Thanksgiving went, in my opinion, REALLY well. My parents ended up coming as well, we all met at my sisters, and other than the kids making us start a little later than we'd like it was all amazing. Food was great, best candied yams I've had in awhile. I should have taken some with us, but I was so stuffed I had no eye for food as we were packing up the left overs.
My sister decorated for Christmas over the weekend and it's made me want to decorate as well. Last year we didn't decorate because we were moving ON Christmas Eve, and then Paul & I both got this really nasty stomach flu. The last time we did a live tree the mess was tremendous, so I think this year we're going to take a look at the artificial ones. However, if the price is too much then we'll probably do a live one and then take advantages of after Christmas sales in thought of NEXT year.
My Nook ships today!!!
When I was away for Thanksgiving I got to go to the Textile Museum in DC, which has a really nice contemporary Japanese fashion exhibit going on until April 2010.
It showcases the works and styles of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo.
It's particularly interesting if you're into avant-garde anything (like I am) because it is amazing to see what these designers started producing at a time when no one else was doing anything like it. Very revolutionary.
I had to whip out my camera to remember the occasion---and to share with you of course:
(Miyake is known for his pleated garments. I strongly recommend you look these up. Also look up runway videos of these garments to see how they move!)
Spread the word.
Was invited to play at a cash game where there would be plenty of fish (inexperienced players). Although I prefer to play $1/1 limits, was happy to play $1/2 No Limit Texas Hold Em when there are going to be players who do not know the game.
Bought in for $200 and we started just six-handed.
My first big-hand was A6 both diamonds. Someone raised to $10 pre-flop, which I am course called. Four players saw the flop which contained two diamonds. Called a small raise around half the pot and everyone stayed in. A diamond on the turn gave me the nuts but still everyone continued betting so I flat called. The river saw the two players in front of me both go all-in, so I pushed too and the final player, whom I covered went all-in as well. Fantastic. I beat two pair, a straight and a smaller flush to take down a huge pot.
I then lost quite a bit of money with AKs. Re-raised a raise of $10 to $35 and was called and head-up. Flop came down 886. I made a pot-sized bet and was called. Turn gave nothing so I checked, fearing my opponent had a decent pocket pair. He bet $200 and I had to fold. Expensive big slick as usual if you don't hit.
Not as expensive as this hand. In early position I got A4, called a raise of $10, three-way. Flop came A4K. Big blind, who had raised to $10 bet out $75. Wow. I've got two-pair, what does he have? The player had just joined the table and was playing his first hand - was he trying to bully, impress and build a table-image from the go. If he was like the other fishes he could have any A - maybe AT, AJ or AQ. Surely if he has AK he would want me to stay in and bet smaller. Maybe he has JJ or TT? I thought about my play for a long time. My options were either to fold or raise, there was no way I could flat call. I had him covered and with any raise we would end up all-in if he called so I decided to push. He called and showed KK. He had flopped a set of Kings on his first hand! A 4 on the turn gave him the Full House and me needing an A on the river which didn't show. Damn. Bad play? Maybe, maybe not.
Tilt time....but no. Managed to stay calm, re-bought to boltster my dwindling stack, got my strategy right in my head and got back down to business. Managed to win a few decent pots but nothing great.
I was not getting my fair share of pocket pairs but was getting lots of Ace-rag suited. I hit a nut flush again but with only one tight opponent in, could only bet for value and didn't claw back much of my loses.
Then two big pots for me....
Finally dealt some pockets again (I had AA once but didn't really get paid off), as I looked down to see TT. Flat called a raise to $10 in middle position, three-handed. Flop came with T23, yes finally hit my set. To my joy, the fish in early position made a pot-size bet which I called. Fish on the button then min-raised, which the other fish and I both called. 5 on the turn. The first fish bet out big, I min-raised just to throw him off a bit. Other fish called, then the other pushed all-in with small remaining stack. I should've just called but with the straight draw on table I raised and the other fish folded. I showed my set of Tens, the fish had AA. No A or 4 on the river so I pulled in the big pot.
A few hands later, just as I was thinking of leaving I limped in with JT. Flop came JT7 - great. Heads-up with a fish (same one who folded when I re-raised the all-in bet with TT) he bet and I min-raised. He called. A 9 on the turn was a scary card for me, making a straight for anyone with the 8. We both checked. A T on the river gave me a full house and I figured I could only be beaten if he JJ which I doubted. He bet $150, I min-raised him to $300 and he called. I showed the boat and beat his straight - nice.
In the end I left, after tipping the dealer with $615 profit from the evening. Consider I was down around $350 at one point, this gives me a $1000 upward swing which is a great feeling. To know I can recover from a bad hand is very comforting.
Next game, a $250 buy-in tournament on Tuesday night at the Malt Vault. My record in the last three tournaments (18 players) has been 4th, 2nd and 7th so hoping to hit the money again.
