HOLY CRAP.  We just watched Annette (with music by Sparks (!!!)) and OMG OMG OMG OMG you've gotta see it. Adam Driver. Holy crapballs. It's not a particularly happy feel-good movie, but Adam Driver acts the everloving craaaap out of it, and I love the artifice vs. real vs. theater vs. actors vs. yadda yadda yadda.  

And did I mention Sparks? Because SPARKS! (Sorry. Love me some Mael Bros.)

Hey Lindsay Harris Friel ​​​​​​, if you haven't seen it yet, I will pay you (especially) to see it. 

It's available on Amazon Prime Video. I will gladly give anyone my login if you need it.

ProTip: Watch it with captions; they really helped... not because people had diction problems (quite the contrary), but because I am almost 51 and I'm at that age where I like them.

The reviews are pretty much in agreement; you'll either love it or hate it. I am firmly in the "love" camp, but even if you hate it, I'd still love to hear your thoughts. 

(In other news, I have 18 drafts in my OPW drafts folder. One of these days maybe I'll finish and post one.)

Love youse crazy kids.

I wrote it somewhere else.

Earlier this week, my calf cramped as i was waking up and i couldn't get it to release while remaining in bed, so i got out of bed to stand on that foot and force it to relax.  Unfortunately, i declared victory too soon and it kicked back, tipping me to the side and knocking me on my ass, much to Kim's concern, but i was unhurt.  By this point, my adrenalin had kicked in hard and, after finally putting an end to the cramp, i was awake and sweating.  After that, i headed to the toilet and, as i finished up, i felt quite ill as i felt the adrenalin rush recede.  I staggered back to bed and lay there nauseous and shivering, breathing shallowly until the feeling passed.

Anyway, don't do drugs, kids, because the comedown is a doozy.

ok well it's a good thing i guess. g$ is killing free private domain accounts, we've had the ride since aught six.. so now it's time to move all my sh1te to other accounts or whatever. I'll manage. It's just a hAssLe.

I thought that maybe some dog had a vitamin overdose or something, but it was neon-yellow spraypaint in the snow to mark utility lines.

Cold as balls at 16° in Macungie. We got 4" of snow today.

This morning, had a lucid dream. And a "Groundhog's Day"-type dreamception, which is how I was able to have the lucid one.

I was in my house, starting to wake up, when I thought I heard the neighbors shoveling. So I got up, got my stuff on, and opened the front door, only to find a bunch of groceries on my porch, which was probably from my neighbor who does that sometimes. But there was also some strange guy, in his 30s, standing there, who wanted to come into my house, like to sell me something. So, I had to talk him back outside of the house, which I did.

That's when I realized I was still in bed sleeping. So, I got up, got my clothes on, opened the front door and started trying to shovel, only to realize that I was still dreaming. And then I thought, well, if I'm still dreaming, I can just do whatever the fuck I want. I can't remember what I did in detail, but I did something really crazy like fly around inside an acid trip (never had one) like that scene in Big Lebowski. I could feel my stomach drop from flying straight up into the air and everything. I was having a blast  It was only for a few seconds, but it was definitely lucid dreaming. My third time ever.

Then, I finally *actually* woke up and thought, this is real. Except I didn't get up and get my clothes on yet and go out, cuz it's fucking 16°. I'm dragging my feet a little right now.

Oh, and the neighbors aren't home, they never were. I knew that when I went to bed last night.

Apparently I dreamed up an online board game about other powers preying upon Austria.  This description bears some resemblance to Maria,​​​​​​​​​​​​​​(https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/40354/maria)
a game about the War of the Austrian Succession which I have not played. 

And rone, you were there too! 

The preceding has not been a paid advertisement for https://en.boardgamearena.com, 
​​​​​​which hosts hundreds of non-imaginary board games.  

I don't backpack. I do hike, but I don't carry my overnight gear/food with me. But lately I've been thinking I might want to ease into that. 

So I'm thinking a one day 5 mile hike out. Sleep out in the wilds, then hike back out the next day. Then work up to 2 days. 

Tent+Sleepingbag+pad = 10 lbs. Food and food gear = 4 lbs. Extra clothes 1 lb. So, 15lbs. Can I carry 15lbs 5 miles? That's like the weight of 2 gallons of milk. Oof. Maybe this isn't THAT much in a good backpack? Dunno.

I already have a route picked out for my trial run. It will start in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners PA.  I will hike the Appalachian trail to Toms Shelters, via the Camp Michaux historical site/ruins. That's like 4 miles. Which really is only 2 or so hours of walking. ... Maybe if I'm not dead from that, I'll keep going to the Birch Run Shelter. That would be 10 miles total.  And then hike back out the next day. 

Ideally, I will sleep in the shelter and not pitch my tent. So I'm planning to go to REI and buy a tiny/light/just-in-case tent. Guess I should get a backpack and sleeping pad too while I'm at it. (I have 4 or 5 sleeping bags already)

I'm thinking April 11ish - before the heat and the bugs and the crowds arrive. I wonder if I can get in "carry 15 lbs & hike 5 hours" shape by then? 

Anyway, it's nice to dream.  

So yesterday I posted about about the funny faces I was working on.

Last night I watched a video about digitally painting skin tones. I've seen the video before, but last night I used the heads I'd already sketched and inked and used them to follow along in the video.

And just like that, the bit flipped in my head. From 0 to 1. Suddenly, I get it.

Okay, I've still got a long way to go, but I feel the difference like a dark moonless night to a bright cloudless midday sky. It might not even be recognizable to other folks, but I feel so stupidly different. My digital painting game just took a monster leap forward.

I'm pretty stoked.

I suppose that some percentage of this weirdness is genetic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Trpdhsajm4M