What I did for my summer vacation...

Hard to believe it's been so long between posts. As usual, this particular part of the year is rough. This year has been no exception, and in many ways, much worse. Mostly from readjusting. I lost weight over the summer and it's played havoc with the blood sugar. I'd like to lose more, but at present things are "plateau'd." But I've added some exercising, and some other things, which I'll discuss in another post.

So what did I do this summer? Not a whole lot of drawing or creating. Not a whole lot of "Mike" time for that, it seems. But I'm proud of one thing in particular...the booth at Oceans of Fun. I remember Jacob, my assistant mgr at the time, and I going over there to do some recon. I don't have any pics from that time...they're probably somewhere on a disc I can't find...but I wasn't very happy. Later on, I was given the tour of Oceans of Fun by Gena, one of the photographers from the previous season, and I was struck by how pretty the place was and is. One of the WF people commented on how it needed some blowups and signage, and it did. Guess in a roundabout way, it became my "baby" of sorts. Mostly because no one really wanted to deal with it. It took all summer and was a work in progress 'til the last weekend Oceans was open, but here's how it turned out...


We added some lock boxes over the viewing stations to secure them, and to also not have to assemble and disassemble each day. Here's what it looked like open in all its glory...


I guess one thing I got tired of hearing real fast was what couldn't be done there. Some things were simple...make it look like a place people would want to approach. Get working equipment. Recognize the windows of opportunity and business flow. Add a second cash register. Lastly, we had some really good kids who worked hard. They took a lot of photos. Here's Gena in action...


She's the best at the underwater pics, and did a lot to teach the others. We had some "go-getters"...Emily, Laura, Jessica, Pat, Derek, Jake, Taryn, Kayla, Linda, Lauren, and probably a bunch I'm not remembering at this time. When it came time to pull it down for the season, I gave Taryn the power drill while I ran folks to their cars. By the time I got back, she'd taken it pretty much taken it all apart with extreme prejudice. Probably a good thing, as I tended to get too sentimental.

I'm signing off on this subject. Going to get back to what I do best, which is drawing and cartooning. But I don't have any regrets regarding how Oceans operated this season. I had a lot of fun with something "the suits" really had written off. I will miss it. And give my farewell to my time at Oceans of Fun with a pic of me there at closing time. I was really happy there.

"o give it to me..."

This week began with some interesting things, mostly the aftermath of the weekend. The last post gave a sizable hint as to Derek's "facial wound" being a bit gynecological... and it does appear that way.

Last Saturday one of my male artists got groped by two drunk men who thought him a woman. And while they provoked a certain amount of rage, indignity, and incredulity initially, upon hearing how the incident unfolded brought about giddy laughter. The quote of note being, "You are one tall glass of woman!" Thought I would wet myself, considering the artist in question is built like a linebacker. He said he didn't know what to do, that girls are better trained to handle this situation. In all fairness, I'm sure the initial shock was more profound, deadening the urge to knock the crap out of them.

This week I encountered a quirkiness of texting of receiving the last part of a message first. The message I received is the heading of this posting. And I had a "What the...?" moment upon receipt, particularly when the artist in question is a 17 year old girl who works for me. Somehow I could feel She-who-must-be-obeyed's cast iron skillet poised to smite my bald spot yet again. Later on in the day, the first part arrived to something like,"...I would like to get my paycheck...but when I go to the office there is no one t-..." Hopefully you see how this was to be, and excuse the initial kneejerk reaction of my being a lech.

Kelsey, my niece, was at the park last Saturday with my daughter, and they wanted a caricature together. Here's the first version...

Kelsey is the angel, and Rachel is cast to type. Or, as I've been like to say, "...had she come first, there wouldn't have been the other two." And in typical fashion, one drawing didn't suffice, but I needed to do a drawing for each of them. Here's the girls together...


Here's the one I did for Kelsey...


We had some equipment go south this season, and the Ford family was kind enough to come through with help. Payment for this was in the nature of me doing a caricature of the father. I don't do "parents" well when it comes to employees, finding that usually they hate my guts. And I admit that I've had a certain "creative bankruptcy" the past few years, struggling to find that energy again. It seems to take about everything I have to pull it out of whatever well reserves I have left to draw. BID.

Here's how his caricature turned out...

...and him with the drawing for comparison...


I think he liked it. He wanted the motorcycle in it and he has a Harley, which I can kind of "halfass" draw. The flag thing just seem to fit. Here he is, again, with the sketch...

...although in my psychosis I'm wondering if he just wasn't missing the machete in this pose, ready to give me my just desserts. "Ghost machete," perhaps?

I find myself restless today. Must be a weather change coming. Only 5 hours of sleep and I am wide awake. The season, like a runaway train, is speeding to a crashing halt, and I'm haunted by what I didn't accomplish this year. While there was/is a lot of positive that did happen, I'm not naive enough to say, "...there's next season." I approach my birthday this next week and the last weekend of the season. And instead of looking at it joyously, I find a sense of dread looming over it. I will be the same age as my grandfather was when he died, and a sense of foreboding has enveloped me. Not sure as to how to handle this next year.

...drinkin' homebrew from a wooden cup, the folks dancin' got all shook up!(part two)...

My pride and joy from this year's Renaissance Festival, held in Bonner Springs, KS! Some day I'll have to get my own lathe and turn my own goblets and such. But for now, got one a second year in a row. And "she-who-must-be-obeyed" didn't complain...too much...

But I really wanted the bronze satyr! Don't know what I'd do with it. Have threatened to put a patio in, but we can never agree on decor. She wants traditional and I want tikis and such...


The parades are always interesting. Didn't get any good shots as my phone/camera was doing the flashy out of memory thingy. Irritated me to no end. Nothing like most of the pics I did get were of horse's butts. But this one turned out okay...


For years, "She-who-must-be-obeyed" nagged about going to the Ren Fest. "We never go anywhere or DO anything!..."yadda, yadda, yadda... So we finally went. Then went the next year. And the next year. And the next year. Then came the "...do we HAVE to go this year?..." whine, whine, whine...

"But you used to complain we never went?"

"Well, we've been. Do we need to go again?"

By this time, I kind of like going and plan on it each year. And my expectations are fairly simple...drink some meade, check out the wenching outfits,...and the wenches..., eat some food(usually something in a bread bowl), and shop. This year there was a lass willing to have a picture with me. The blurry, flesh colored border at the bottom is my wife's finger, as she didn't get it out of the way of the lens...

Best to not comment past this point. The bandaid on the nose was from a biopsy. At some point I'll tell why it isn't a good idea to tell fart jokes while the doctor is either injecting something into your nose, or cutting a hunch out. Made his hands shake. Not a good idea. Tests came back benign, by the way.

At this year's event was my senior supervisor in charge of Front Gate Photo. He brought his girlfriend, Anna, and their baby. Here we are having a "Kodak" moment...


He and I rode the elephant, and it was new for him. He got guilted into it by us, and I could tell he really didn't want to do it. As he gingerly got onto the beast(her name is "Paige," by the way) he expressed some concern as to whether or not she would go nuts, having seen too many "animals gone bad" vids. As I got on I told him we should be okay, unless she decides to rare up or something. He white-knuckled through the entire ride. It was deliciously funny. And I hope Anna posts either some pics from the ride, or the video.

This past weekend marked how close we are to this season's end. Like a train wreck, it is coming to a halt. Now we have only 2 more weekends. But two things from this past weekend are the phrase, "...one tall glass of woman!" and this picture of one of our "monsters" for the Asylum. Taryn noticed his "wound" bore a striking resemblance to a certain anatomical part. I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but suffice it to say, he took quite a ribbing...


Hopefully I can post some drawings I did from this past weekend tomorrow, and finish up some stuff from around the studio.

Todah!

Of mantras and men...

It's October, and both a feeling of relief and of sadness begins to creep upon me. In four weekends the season at Worlds of Fun will be over, plus one more to put things to bed. November will signal some changes and time to fill. I've applied to go back to school, hopefully for this old dog to learn some new tricks. I'm drawing tonight, and it feels both exciting and terrifying. Kind of like getting back up on a horse and waiting to be bucked off.

But if I've reaffirmed some things, it has been to define some sort of "credo." Or mantra, amidah, code, philosophy of life... whatever moniker to be given to it. Sometimes it's defined by certain sayings or snippets of wisdom. Harry, from "Dexter," said there are two kinds of people in the world...the ones the way we want to see them, and the what they choose to show. Certainly the "golden rule" has merit, too.

W. C. Fields had 3, and 2 of which he used for movie titles. They weren't my faves of his movies. That one would be "The Bank Dick." But his mantra was simple...
1) Never Give a Sucker An Even Break
2) You Can't Cheat An Honest Man
3) Never Wise Up a Chump

The last one haunts me the most, as I still have a nagging feeling of being suckered, or played, by a few individuals. Nothing to really discuss here.

But my simple credo is this..."Like" is generic, "Love" is relative, but "Trust" is what you can "take to the bank." More than anything else in our "commodity" society, trust in in short supply. Some would even live by "Trust No One!" Sad really.

I tend to be trusting. Which is why betrayal seems to be heinous to me. In Christian society, Judas Iscariot is generally banished to the lowest rungs of (whatever definition of ) hell there may be. After all, didn't he betray the Son of God? But maybe his crimes are worse than that. More personal. He betrayed his friend. And worse,...he betrayed his rabbi.

Which brings me to...

TARYN...
Here's a portrait I've started of her. I'm drawing it on coquille board, and will probably do another of her once I get more comfortable with this surface. To quantify, this is a work-in-progress...

Taryn is someone I trust. I've never had the feeling she didn't have my back. She isn't the only one. There are several people working for me this summer who are in that category and as I continue to draw, I hope to post not only the drawings, but some things about some of the wonderful kids who shared some of their lives with me at the park.

I've given different ringtones to folks in my contact book on my phone. Taryn's ironically is "Born to be Wild," as she comes across as a force of nature. Others were given ringtones based on either I just like the song, had an epiphany, or it was a favorite of theirs in particular. Of the latter, I think Kim may be the only one from the park, as hers is the Doors' "Don't You Love Her Madly." Derek got Dexter's "Blood Theme." Pat got the "Twilight Zone" theme. My daughter got Judy Garland's version of "Over the Rainbow." My wife got 2...both were popular when we were dating..."How Deep Is Your Love" for her cell, and "Baby, I Love Your Way" for her work phone. I gave Ray, my senior supervisor the Raspberries, "Go All the Way," in honor of my catharsis at Oceans of Fun. He hates it, and would prefer something "cool," but it's my phone. My tones. And there are others. It's kind of nice knowing whose calling.

Enough BS-ing and pontificating. Have some drawing to do!

99

I should have some stuff to post tonight, but today is a special day of sorts. It's my grandmother's birthday, and were she alive today, she would 99. We called her, "Granny."

Unlike a lot of my posts on this subject, I'd rather stay focused on how great and funny she was.

My dad was working on his master's at KSU back in the '60's, and we would travel there, staying the weekend at the basement apartment he'd rented. At some touristy place, I bought some things to booby trap cigarettes. (My folks and Granny all smoked back then.) I still get a chuckle when she lit up one of her cigarettes that I'd loaded, and the look on her face as the thing began to "snow." (I have another trip for rigging the bread wrapper so it won't open, but that's another post.)

One story she would tell was from her elementary school days. Way back when it was in a one-room school. And before lawnmowers. Back then to trim the grass, they would run sheep in to graze and keep the grass down. But when you have sheep, there will also be "sheep dip."(If you don't know what that is, I'm not explaining it.)

During lunch time, she and a friend would sit under a tree at the school and eat lunch. There was a boy named, "Grover," who would consume his lunch, only to proceed to beg from the other kids for what ever extra they might have. A bit of a glutton.

One day, Granny and her friend had a watermelon. They cut out a big slice, picked all the seeds out and replaced them with sheep dip. And when Grover came by, they offered him some watermelon. He didn't just eat it, from her description, but inhaled it. He never knew, and she never told. And I hope none of Grover's heirs are out there to read this. Awkward.

LAST NIGHT'S ADVENTURE!--I was painting on my "girlfriend" last night(that's code for painting at the Oceans of Fun booth to get it sealed up for the winter. Sorry. Nothing more racy than that.) There were a couple of coons trapped in a dumpster close by the stand. I thought one was dead, but the other one was crying out. I really hate raccoons. They are nothing but diseased ridden vermin, but even I don't have a heart to turn off the tugging at the heart of hearing an animal crying.

I put a drop cloth over the edge thinking he would climb out, but he just pulled the cloth into the dumpster. I wasn't going in after it. He'd already hissed at me a few times. So I finished the primer coat and was considering going to the Wood 'n' Leather shop at Worlds of Fun to find a plank to see if that would help him escape.

I'd also made the mistake of contacting a couple of female types--my wife and Taryn--asking what to do, as I had thought of just leaving them. But got the, "Aww, can't you do something?"

Before I could leave, WF security was buzzing through and came to see what was going on, and heard the noises coming from the dumpster. So we were in the process of trying to see what could be done when Amanda, one of the security guards, notice that one of the coons, the one I thought dead, wasn't, but had its head stuck in the dumpster drain pipe. It was sticking out from the front.

We found a plank, put it in the dumpster, and the non-stuck raccoon crawled up and out of the dumpster, Proceeding, as it were, to crawl onto one of the tikis flanking Trader Nick's. Security prodded it from there and he scampered off to the woods. But the other one was still stuck.

We tried covering the head with a dropcloth to shove the head back through. Dicey, because that end had teeth. One of the security guys, normally a tough hombre, said he couldn't euthanize it without crying. Funny and touching, as none of us wanted the option of killing the animal.

I suggested lubing the head and neck to see if that might help. Amanda drove us to a food stand and we found some liquid shortening, brought it back and coated the beast's head and neck to see if that would do the trick. Couldn't pull it back through.

It was suffering and had struggled to the point of having ruptured both eyes, blinding itself.

It didn't make it. And while I did take pictures before hand, showing our stages of rescue, it wouldn't be right to post them now with the outcome as it is.

On a brighter note, I tipped the scales this morning at 255! On my way from obesity to just fatness! Yeah, baby!!!

Shalom!

today...

A few hours ago, I found myself in strange territory...having to eat something late at night. I was feeling strange and having trouble with my vision. Checked the blood sugar to find it at 68. A bit low.

Some comments in earlier posts talked of the "dragon," but now I find more concern for the "disease." At the beginning of this year, I was tipping the scales at 292. Yesterday I weighed in at 256.2. But with this comes readjusting medicine, continuing to exercise, etc. One thing I did notice was a feeling of rage. It seemed to run its course after supper, and my wife and I took a walk, and I did some nightly exercising. Couldn't really get into the new "Hawaii 5-0," but it does have Grace Park. Boo YEAH! I could see her replacing Emma Peel in my heart. BID. Then I noticed my hands shaking and my heart pounding.

The disease is going to fight back. Is fighting back. Should make for an interesting conversation tomorrow with my diabetes doctor.

MY WEEKEND
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If the events from this past weekend are any indication of what this upcoming year is going to be like...it's going to suck. I joked about it being HaShem's answer to my Yom Kippur prayers, but this past Saturday was nuts. The "Halloween Haunts" were starting up. It rained at Worlds of Fun in the early evening. Then it became torrential. Then flash flooding, lots of lightning and thunder, hail--small and large--followed by a complete power outage at the park and 70mph winds. Sucked.

We shot the vampire house at the park, or tried to...that pesky power outage thing...and we had a new "queen of mean" to hail! One of the girls who works for me dressed up to be a monster for the pictures, and she really out did herself. Her name is Maren, and here's how she looked...


The name of the house is "Lore of the Vampire," and she nicknamed herself the "Lore Whore," which I told her she couldn't really use that moniker. Here we are hamming it up before going to the house...


Maren did a great job under very difficult circumstances. She's one of those people that the camera loves, and I saw nothing but an easy and efficient flow of park guests with her and her photographer, Patrick. I hope to add another set of "monsters" soon, including a girl named Taryn. I did this caricature of her a few years back...


I'm working on a portrait of her. Once I get a little farther along, I'll post it. She offered to do the Vampirella costume, but I'm not sure the park could handle it.
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One last thing from this past summer...we had a couple of get togethers at the park for the employees, and this is how I usually ended up...

Whipped cream in the face...ya' gotta love it! But I preferred "Splash Bash." Gena got 3/4 guys together and they tossed me into the pool. As hot as it had been, it was just what was needed, although it did make for more laundry.

Lates!

working through a likeness...

Not much to tell other than I did some doodling watching "Dexter." I hope soon to post some of those doodles in a more finished form.

In previous posts I've griped about struggling with getting a likeness on one of my artists. Gena won one of the competitions we have had at the park called "Top Gun." I implemented this program to get the photo artists to think less about how many clicks of the shutter they were getting and more about making their photos more "sell-able." It's a term we have frequently used with the other operations...caricatures, airbrush art, wood cutting, and the like...and it made sense to use it for this discipline, too. Not being a front gate photo peep, I grew very impatient and annoyed at those who came in to give me the "how to," finding that the strutting of "shot counts" and "capture rates" came off more like phallus measuring between egos.

Whose is bigger?

It also wasn't translating into per capita(aka "how much money are we squeezing?), either.

"Did you see how many shots I had today? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? 400! Oh, yeah!..."

"...but only 5 of them sold. You sure those were all legit and you weren't taking pictures of the clouds?" Or your feet? 400 pics and 200 have the heads cut off..."

You get the idea.

So instead of rewarding high shot counts, I rewarded the number of pictures sold. Top Gun. Anyone can "spray bullets," but who can hit the "targets?"

Gena did it twice at Oceans of Fun, as did Emily and Laura. At Worlds of Fun, Nick, A.J., and Michael did it twice. Emily has the distinction of being the only one to do it at both parks, and the only 3 time winner.

Gena is a comics and animation fan. Previously I showed drawings of her as "Phoenix" and "Black Widow." But my 4th try in caricaturing her, I drew her as "Medusa" from the "Fantastic Four." After all, she is a redhead, so it fits to draw her as those characters. She has been gracious enough to send me a pic of that drawing. My camera is on the fritz, and I wanted to make sure it arrived for her birthday, so I was unable to get a pic of it. Still not that happy with it, but it's closer in likeness then earlier attempts. Some caricature subjects are like that.