Every once in a while, I'll make a purchase that many would describe as "ridiculous" or "insanely expensive. Generally, these kind of things are limited to tools of my trade- things I use to make money, or at least they earn their keep, as it were. The Wacom Cintiq I'm contemplating falls under that heading, though it would take a lot of commissions to pay for that thing! But a couple of months ago, I went ahead and commissioned something from another artist whose work was just astounding to me: Renee Yoch. (I'm pretty sure thats her real name, but she has so many user names, its hard to tell for sure.)

She goes by the name VIIStar on DeviantArt, and anyone who has been on Equestria Daily recently would recognize the INSANELY awesome gravity defying sculpts she does of the MLP cast for commissioners. Mine was at the head of their showcase a few days ago. If anyone cares to visit the page where the sculpt is showcased:

http://viistar.deviantart.com/art/R.....lors-477964670

I wont post it here, because this is the place I showcase my own art, and other FA artists.

I did the original composition, and let Renee take care of the rest. She did an awesome job, and I can say the sculpt is even better in person, having arrived this afternoon. I may have her add the rest of the CMC to the pair, but for now, I'll reel from the financial blow: This piece cost me $1,000! Too much for someone with my budget to spend, to be sure, but occasionally, I like to support an artist whose technique I can barely figure out. A least she broke it down into 3 payments…

As some of you have probably noticed, I'm updating the comic much more often the last few days. I'm going to try and make this a daily once again, or at least daily- ish, because there is a lot of story left to go before we reach the end of this arc, and I'm anxious to get it finished. I may reboot the story and art when this arc is completed, because there is room for better execution of some of the earlier pages, and the whole thing could be made more… consistent.

The question was asked when I had the dark spot removed. The fabled black spot, surely the one pirates of yore spoke of in hushed tones around some drunken fire. Mine decided to appear on my right foot rather than either of my hands.

Do I have Cancer?

Are innumerable tiny little mutineers careening about my body, looking for some vacant property to find purchase? Borne of this little black spot?

From an anonymous pair of eyes behind a microscope, I received the answer today.

My black spot is gone. Apparently, mine was a preemptive strike- no Cancer was found, but the building blocks were there. Ten years from now, the answer would have been decidedly different.

Here's to being a hypochondriac. Time for sushi and drinks, now. Right now.

So, I got back from the con early this morning, and after a few hours of sleep, and a few hours of work, I went under the knife this afternoon. Just local anesthesia, but a somewhat horrifying experience nonetheless.

Over the past decade or so, I had been watching this large mole on the side of my right foot with trepidation. Well, when the inside of it started to change color, I decided it was time for that fucker to go. The doc took one look at it and scheduled me for surgery the day after the con. So now, I'm sitting here with my stricken foot in the air, trying not to lower it enough to cause bleeding, internally or otherwise.

I can't really walk on it, either. The chicken nugget sized patch of skin and flesh he removed had to be stitched up, and they pulled the skin tight to do it. Really don't need that sucker tearing open on me. Pretty sure that would… hurt. My foot is still numb. I'm kinda worried about what is going to happen when it wakes up. It looks all 300 down there right now- black stitches and blood and such. My days of being a foot model are OVER!!!

If there is a next time, I'm bringing some headphones or something. I can't tell you how UNNERVING it is to lay in a completely silent room, listening to a small, but very sharp knife gliding through your flesh. The connective tissue parts like the sound of Velcro, softer, but still distinct. Then of course there is the doctor: "Oh, man, wow… Uh… Mike!!! Get me some more towels!! and… Bring the electro dessicator in here… Now, please…"

Then, there comes the sound of burning, and the smell of burning meat. My meat… Yes, its Monday.

Well, I went ahead and bought my tickets and such. I will be coming up on Friday- I don't know if the bowling is a good idea or not… Anyways, I'll be the WILLEM WALLABY with the Ober Rivers badge, since I haven't made a suit for Ober just yet... Maybe next year. Well, I spend most of my time out of suit anyways, so I'll be easy to spot- just look for the dark cloud!

Well, Things are looking up a little. I can now type for longer periods without significant pain, but I'm still having trouble sleeping. It will all come with time, I guess. I have a new art computer which may allow me to do some faster work in the near future- I have to save up for a proper monitor for it right now, because it apparently hates the monitors I have now.

i'm going to consult an ergonomics professional to see what I can do to make my work less injurious to my increasingly decrepit body… Still, it'll be fun to run Sketchbook Pro in its current version on a big screen. Love the features, hate the fact it only runs on my laptop.

I have to make my Megaplex decision this weekend- whether or not, that is… i'll keep everyone informed. I would hate to go and be completely miserable the whole time. Right now, it looks like it will be a go, though. Gotta buy my badge this weekend, then.

As anyone who is watching will no doubt notice, my output has been really bad for a while. For a long time now, I've suffered off and on with problems with my neck, which looking back, were all caused by my lack of good posture. When I work at the computer, I tend to hover, pecking at the keys rapidly, looking something like a vulture leering off the top of his perch. Never really thought too much about it, really- posture was something people with sticks up their asses would go on about to piss regular folks off. Implication being if I want to slouch, fuck it, I'm going to slouch. that position pretty much carried over into everything I do, from drawing, to work, to eating dinner, etc, etc…

Well, those fucking days are OVER. After enjoying the last 2 weeks in SEARING pain, I decided to get some professional help, and was basically told I now possess the neck, or at least the vertebra, of a 80 year old boxer. The first clue was when I lost the use of my right arm for a couple days. Then, on the way back from lunch, I shrugged at someone's question as I was leaving the restaurant. That was the moment the sharp bone spur that is growing from the base of C5 punctured the nerve that connects my Right arm to my brain.

That hurt a little. Also, it appears I will probably have to go Lefty when I jack off… For the rest of my life.

I have been to 3 doctors now, and they all tell me the same thing: There is no fixing this, the only thing I can do is slow it down- somewhat. Surgery is apparently extremely risky in that area, and with my propensity to grow scar tissue, it would be pretty foolhardy, too. I kind of need my spinal cord to live.

For now, I am stuck in limbo, and 3 days a week, my head is attached to a rope, and they slowly attempt to lengthen the space inside my distorted spine, and retrain the muscles to hold my head in a somewhat proper position. For the time being, I literally cannot lay down to sleep. I also cannot sit in a chair and sleep. I usually pass out while sitting upright in bed, my back pressed against the wall, which only serves to reinforce the bad muscle and posture behavior that caused all of this in the first place.

So the next time someone tells you to stop slouching, I'd fucking listen. I wish I had. Bit late for that now, though. I can only hope the orthopedic doctors can do something to make this manageable, because life sucks right now. I may have to completely change everything about the way I work, live, sleep, etc. It seems to be getting better than the worst of it, but it only takes one bad night to throw it all back to square one.

Ugh, its hurting again. Time to sign off. Need ice.

Is anyone watching these journals going to this thing? I have been to 2 of the Megaplex cons in the past, and I was looking forward to going to this one, but I need to know if there will be anyone there to meet when I go. I really think I need the fun time. I really feel I missed out last year, and I don't plan on letting that happen again.

I am probably going for all 3 days this time. I need the time off.

Well, As anyone who is reading this journal is likely to know, I'm producing artwork again. I'm currently waiting for some paint to dry, so I figured I could write this well that's going on. I'm going to try my hand at some more sculpture, as I've recently come upon some really nice work from an artist up on Deviantart (she makes ponies:)), and I've been spurred into ungainly motion once more. She has some techniques to solve many of the issues I've had using things like the unholy Sculpey modeling clay. turns out, you really don't want to use it by itself… So, expect to see some sculpts up here eventually.

Meanwhile, Ober and Matilda are about to reach a turning point, so stay tuned. Its long overdue, I realize…

A quick explanation for any new readers, since I am just now coming out of a rather protracted hiatus.

The majority of work on this page is for the story of Ober Rivers and Matilda. There will be occasional diversions, but for the most part, this is their story. Currently, the story has spanned only a couple days on a weekend that Ober decided to hit one of the local night spots, and ended up being swept up by a lonely kangaroo mum looking to dispense some motherly affection. (This consisted of basically ending up getting suddenly stuffed in a 'roo pouch, and bounced all the way back to Matilda's empty home.

Ober adapted pretty quickly to the idea of having a mummy roo take care of him for a little while- he was rather fond of lady roos, and this one seemed nice, although strangely eager in her approach. Ober became curious when he was brought to a rather well appointed nursery, even though there were no real joeys to be seen. Then there was a little misunderstanding, and an otter bottom got tanned a bit.

Ober decided to find out more about his host, and quickly made an unfortunate discovery. Right now, he's in the process of getting more information, following a lead, and probably getting a fresh spanking on top of the one he already had, which is kind of like having 6 or 10 at once…

He'll eventually snap, I'm pretty sure.

We live in interesting times. Maybe not WWII interesting times, but interesting nonetheless. In the last decade we have seen the rise of a new religion (global warming), the destruction of the Bill of Rights ("Patriot" Act), and the overreaching hand of surveillance in the name of Safety Above Freedom invade every aspect of our lives. Its hard not to despair when we see 1984 as but a thin caricature of the actuality in which we live today. Orwell didn't go nearly far enough, it seems.

Oh, well… Its a great time to be a beer drinker, anyways… So much variety! I wonder how much longer till The Hunger Games are REAL, too.

I'm listening to the Tron Legacy soundtrack as I write this. Great music. I was told it was a shit movie. All I know is it was available on Vinyl, so I bought a copy, because I had to sell my CD player to pay bills… The turntable is borrowed- I'll buy it eventually, but right now, its the Company's. Apparently my legal troubles aren't QUITE over yet- I'm looking at being sued over the lost house again, this time from the second mortgage, and I may have to hire a lawyer to handle that as well. I think I'll just declare bankruptcy this time, though- I'm sick of paying bills and getting nowhere. So, yeah. Coming soon: Chapter 7: The Empty Pocket. There are advantages to owning pretty much nothing, it seems.

Good thing I'm too old to worry about this kind of shit anymore. I already know it'll all turn out.

Its my birthday on Sunday, so I'm hoping to maybe get something good to eat for myself. There is a new sushi joint down the road just opened up, and I'm going to pay them a visit- alone. I wish I knew some furs around here. I'm surrounded by rednecks- the scary kind. So, no fursuiting around THIS neighborhood. Someone has already gone out of their way to make me feel unwelcome here- as the last 27 years of my life lay strewn around my "garage" and front yard like a refugee camp, they though it would be neighborly to call the fucking city and complain, rather than just ask me what was going on. Moving is hard, I didn't need them making it fucking harder.

So I will be retaliating the only way I know how: Giant topiaries that look like diseased sexual organs and shitty bottle trees. I'm going to make my front yard the shittiest on the block, and maybe fly the Minnesota state flag or something.

Well, we are officially out of the old house, and finding out just how little space there is for -anything- in my new place. Not much of a surprise, really, but I'm going to be working on getting this place up and running for quite a while. Mum's cats are driving me insane- their ability to wreck everything in a house within hours is something to behold, and I've had to work hard to keep them out of my half of the house. I am going to have to get a new computer pretty soon- this one and my drawing machine are getting really long in the tooth, and are running slow.

Any suggestions on what machine to pick (medium price) would be appreciated. I'm used to Mac, but I'll entertain other machines as well, especially since Apple has publicly stated they don't want my business anymore, being a person who thinks for myself and all… I've already written off the new iPhones because of their shit OS, and when this one dies, I'll be getting a Note or something instead. If I'm going to have to use what amounts to the Android or Windows phone OS, I might as well pay half the price.

I may spring for the Cintiq mobile computing platform- since its pretty much what I've been waiting for Apple to come out with since the first iPad, but running Windows instead.

Having said all that, I'll be dusting off the drawing pad just as soon as I can get the crap cleared away- I've already started the next series of pages for the comic, and will be finishing them up soon. Looking forward to getting some work done here again, now that I am finally "moved".

Well, the time has come, and I'm moving out of the house my family has lived in for the last 26 years. We have been given 60 days to remove the remains of our presence and hand the keys over to the bank. It will be nice to get all of this behind us, but things are going to suck for a while. My mom is going to move in with me at my new place, and I'm finally going to have the time to pay attention to my art again.

I've been stuck between two places for so long, it was starting to feel as if I'd never get to move in down here. I'm fixing up the studio now, and once the floors are in, I'm going to haul my computer stuff in there and get back to work. I'll finally have a large space to create stuff in again- all I have to do is keep Mum from hauling every bit of accumulated crap along, and burying us in it. I've got a pretty good start as it is with my woodworking machines and electronic crap now.

Right now, I'm sitting in front of my stereo in the living room (tiny- its a single wide trailer), listening to Misty River on a pair of Focal Diablo Utopias- a pair of speakers that cost more than this entire house. One has to have their priorities, I guess.

Right now, I'm getting this place set up for living- its mostly ready to move into now, but I need to carve out a little more space before I move in for good, and get hot water going… As soon as we have moved in, and I have a modicum of privacy again, I can make my furry art nest in my new studio, and spend a lot more time up here. I know everyone is wondering about Ober and Matilda, and I never really stop thinking about them myself. I can't wait to tell the rest of their story.

Its going to be great to come home.

Well, as those of you who attended Megaplex no doubt found out, I was unable to attend. I ended up working the Friday I had taken off, as well as the whole weekend because everyone I work with sucks, and the person I was supposed to go with had to cancel at the last minute. I couldn't afford to pay for the room and the con by myself, no time to find anyone else to go with, so I ended up working instead. The best part about working 26 hours this weekend is that not only do I not get overtime for it, I don't get paid at all! Wheeeee!

Sorry to anyone who wanted to meet up with me this weekend. I was pretty much stuck at the factory all weekend, with no internet because the router went down- again. I was hoping to get out on Sunday, drive up to the con, and make my appearance at least, but I didn't get the work done until late Sunday night. I'm still bummed about missing the con, it sucks to be poor.

Well, as promised, I have my internets, and submissions will be resuming this week. I'm looking forward to getting the story going again. Unfortunately, fop the next two weeks, I'm going to be splitting time between what are now two houses, separated by 25 miles, with work in between. Yay. Since mum is out of town for the next two weeks, I have to take care of both of them, and the menagerie contained within. Cats make a Hell of a mess when your out for the day, with their constant climbing and such. So, that's where I'm headed now- to deal with whatever ungodly disaster the critters have cooked up for me while I've been at work all day. So yeah, once again…



Yay.

Well, the drought is nearly over: I'm moving my studio into my new place, and the internets have been ordered! I have a Fios Quantum line coming in June 1st and I will be resuming regular operations then! Meanwhile, I'm sending this note from the network at work. I may move the installation date up a bit, but I'm trying to get a security system installed and the water running before I get all my stuff moved in at the desperate hovel I will soon be calling home. But as long as my stuff is there, and I have electricity (and internet) it will be loads better than what I am doing now! :3

Well, the time has come for the portable line to dry up. I have been using a cellular modem for 2 years now, and the $70 a month is simply no longer in the cards- not with a "house" to pay for. (I put it in quotes because its a trailer… :p ) I'm really just after the lot anyways. Too bad lots in Sarasota are so damn expensive. I've started moving my crap in, so I can get rid of the bill for the storage unit as well- between that and the 'net, I'll be saving $300 a month, which nearly pays for the house, although the power bill will be in my name next month, so I'll be paying for TWO house's electricity. I'm setting aside one of the rooms for a studio of sorts- until I get the workshop built.

Anyways, for the time being, no internet… I'm currently flying the pirate flag on an unsecured and relatively slow network in my current neighborhood. Its going to be a little strange for a while, because the only other net access I have is at work, and I have zero privacy to get up here and post during business hours, so the updates will be a little sporadic, which is to say: No one will probably notice any difference. :)

Well, I'm sure many have noticed I haven't been around a lot lately. I keep hoping for the respite that allows me to once again devote the time I need to work on my strips, and finish the last couple commissions I have found I never quite got done. Between my day job, and finding a new place to start over on my home, I haven't had a lot of time to sit behind the keyboard. Having said that, by this evening, you all should be enjoying yet another segment of the Ober/Matilda universe, one where lil' Ober is doing something he will likely get his hide tanned for… again. What can I say… Love hurts, yes?

I've been pretty busy the last few months helping my sister get her place ready to move into, I'm on my way down there in a few minutes to install flooring… :| Its a good thing I'm good at pretty much everything, otherwise I'd have time to myself! I'm glad she's coming down, anyways- now Mum will have a place to stay, while I'm building my new place.

Anyways further news: I finally bought a "house"… Its about 2 steps above a cardboard box, the water doesn't work, and even the vermin refuse to infest it- too far below rat standards. So, for the forseeable future, I will be working on my new home/ studio, until the city condemns it, anyway. Its in a nice area, close to work, but just far enough from the city that the gunfire I hear is from the country boys instead of the gangs. All I have to do is polish that turd real hard, and I'll have a genie. Or an artist's studio. I suppose either would be good. I've always said I'd be happy to live in a rat hole, as long as I have a studio to work in- now its time to make that wish come true!

The object is to build the place I want right over the top of this joint, and then, pull it out from underneath before finishing the lower floor. The presence of wheels on the current structure makes that somewhat more feasible. The frame for my cottage is going to be assembled in the mean time, all of the plumbing and electric adapted to the new structure as a "refurbishment" to the original trailer. This is made easier by the fact that it ALREADY has an add on that was put on it years ago, and that will be the starting point of the timber frame takeover of the tin can- what is now the bedroom will become the living room- the first thing you see when you step through Fluttershy's front door. When the work is done on that, the rest gets done after a year or so. Its going to be… interesting.

Or, depending on opinions, extremely dark. I'm posting this as a bit of a warning to the more sensitive viewers who are following the comic: Things are about to get really, terribly bad. I'm not a gratuitous violence kind of artist, or writer for that matter, but the progression of the story is about to reach a point where some may question the motives of the writer- and/ or his sanity. I don't -like- seeing characters suffer, but its hard to build a story where everything is sunshine, lollipops, diapers, and rainbows. Rest assured the story eventually leads someplace nice. But be forewarned- for the forseeable future, the soundtrack will be dominated by the sound of shit hitting some really big fans.

Well, its that time again, and the story is about to get a bit more complicated. Partially out of respect for my viewers, and partially out of a need to know how to not completely screw the characters, I figured I would go ahead and ask the readers what it is they would like to see happen in Ober and Matilda's rather unconventional relationship. I certainly have a series of events in mind, but there are now a couple different ways the story can unfold at this point, ranging from possibly disappointing to maybe too much of a Hollywood ending, and I just want to see what everyone thinks before I finish this chapter, and set the tone for the next.

Its come a long way since I simply pulled these two out of the thin air.

The question you may be asking is: What kind of life does Ober lead outside Matilda's place, and how is that going to affect what happens next? I already know what I've written, so its not a mystery to me, but what does everyone here think is going to happen?

I look forward to hearing your opinions/ wishes! :3

So, yeah. Thinking about getting some ink done… I've already picked a piece of art I absolutely love- no, its not one of mine… It looks like sometime soon, Fluttershy is going to be gracing probably my Left shoulder, because the flow of the composition looks the best there. Am I crazy? Oh, yes.

Conventional wisdom states that tattoos make one totally badass. This is only amplified when they depict little pegasus ponies with fluorescent pink manes. I can't wait to show her off at the local biker bar. Eh, maybe not…

I find it hard to be kind. I have a hard time letting the guard I have built up around me because of my life experiences. Its not like I wont help someone calling for assistance or anything- a call for help is one thing… Beh. I'm rambling. I'll see people, out there… They SAY they need help, many of them carry signs that say so, but as I watch car after car dump handfuls of money out their windows, I can't help but think of all the stories I've heard about the panhandlers, and the fact I saw the same man who was collecting money out in front of my Wal- mart buying a big screen the next day so he could watch the Super Bowl, cos' you know… I sort of asked him about it. He was dressed better than I was that day…

I think about it all the time, because truth be told, I think of myself as kind of an asshole. I get angry with people, I silently fume at them, and imagine their untimely demise at my hands, but all the while I just smile and go about my business. Secretly, I wait for them to fuck up and get in my way so I can exact whatever revenge I might have in mind. Of course I've never so much as raised a hand to anyone, its as if they can sense the monster dwelling deep inside this shiny, but rather gruff looking shell. Yet that same person, the one whose neck I'm snapping in my mind's eye- if they were in trouble for real, I'd literally run through fire to save them. Its a strange way to think… I can only hope actions speak louder than thoughts when my life comes up for review, otherwise I'm pretty much fucked!

When I'm out there, more and more, I find myself trying to live my life like Fluttershy. I already have the animal thing down- I have WAY more critters around here than most, and more than half of them are wild- free to come and go as they please. I know what to take on, and what I'm not able to take care of myself… The baby squirrels go straight to the wildlife rehab, thank you very much, and I know from experience that possums have no problem at all biting a helping hand A LOT!!! They really are like crocodiles with fur.

This evening, on my way home from the Rainbow Factory, I spotted a baby bird in the road just as my truck drove over him. I like my truck. It has plenty of room in the back for wayward snapping turtles, and luckily for this little guy, enough ground clearance that you could Limbo under it. I pulled over and picked the little guy up, as he flashed his very angry little bright yellow mouth at me. Only a Mockingbird baby makes THAT much noise. I took a few steps back toward the truck, and realized I couldn't take care of this thing myself, and that mockingbirds were pretty good at keeping tabs on their fledgelings. Sure enough, not 10 seconds later, there was Mum, with a mouth full of bugs, wondering where the fuck her baby had got off to. Then he started calling again.

Mockingbirds are really angry birds. They dive bomb and viciously peck anything that gets near their nest, up to and including the black bears that live just North of here. I was not surprised when they started cursing at me, but at least I knew they were the right family to return him to. What DID surprise me was as I approached, they fell silent- well, as silent as pissed off mockingbirds get, anyways. I walked toward them and placed their wayward offspring at the base of the little tree from which they watched me nervously. I stood close by and watched them attend to him for a few minutes, and then went on my way. I guess all thats left to do now is find a good tattoo shop to ink the three little pink butterflies on my ass.

I've been rather tied up of late, as many will know… I'm caught out a bit right now, dealing with the whole having to pack up all my shit and leave but no one knows exactly when thing… I guess its the additional stress over it has me less able to draw anything, but more likely, its just the fact I simply haven't taken the time to put anything down on paper. Not exactly something I want or need to discuss, suffice it to say, the whole legal business has me physically and emotionally drained. Things would be a LOT simpler if I didn't have my elderly mother in tow… she doesn't like the accomodations I've arranged for myself and the brood of animals while I presumably get my shit in order. It was easier to think about until last week, when her ersatz "boyfriend" (95 years old!), who had offered to give her a presentable home until I had finished mine, decided to shuffle off this mortal coil. Can't say it came as much of a surprise, really. I mean, he was 95 and all…

So it looks as if I will have to hope I either succumb to the pressure and buy a shitty house, or build what I really want. The speculators are swarming in once again- homes around here don;t stay for sale long anymore, regardless of condition. The $50K houses are being snapped up by asshole investors- modern day Carpet Baggers from New York, mostly. They didn't learn their lesson the last financial ass kicking they got, apparently. No matter- the houses I looked at were only slightly better than the trailer I have lined up… I just hope my sister gets her ass in gear and moves down here so Mum can move in with her while I build MY place at my leisure. At least land is temporarily cheap… The plan is to have this in hand by next month.

Well, my birthday has come and gone again. This year brought relatively little in the gifts department- I had to pay for the birthday dinner I was invited to, for instance… very nice. Still, nothing topped the foreclosure summons stuck in my doorframe the other day. Still, I find myself strangely uplifted. I turned 38 this year, I'm losing the house I've spent the last 25 years in, and I haven't been invited to my school's 20th reunion.

But I doubt I could be any happier. Things suck relatively badly right now, but I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead. I'm rebuilding my credit by paying off my old debts, I'm learning how to build my house, and I finally have a plan for what to do with Mum and all the damn cats. I guess everything is better when you have a big goofy Great Dane to come home to every night… She just came in here and drooled all over me and my Scootaloo t-shirt while I was writing this. She's about 2 years old now, and I absolutely love her. I had someone call me a "hero" the other day, for taking the time (and space) to keep such a lovely creature in my care.

She was there when my Dad was dying- she used to steal his donuts when he would let down his guard. He loved her, even though he would complain about this huge dog taking up all the space. She loved my dad, too- she barked furiously at the paramedics when they came to carry him away for the last time… She looked for him after he was gone, and she continued to do so until the day we took his chair away. It was then, she knew he wasn't coming back.

Its hard to think about the fact that most of the time, these guys only live for 7 years. That's why that woman called me a "hero"… The fact that I would knowingly take on that kind of "burden". Someday, someday soon, I will have to say goodbye to her- that big, goofy, wonderful, and oblivious black dog. The one that, at this very moment, is bothering my Mum with her cold black nose, trying to wrest me away from my computer to take her for a walk. She knows that if she annoys Mum enough, I'll HAVE to come get her… I can't wait to see how she negotiates the stairs in Fluttershy's cottage. She'll probably do just fine… having her IS an awful lot like having a pony… Although I doubt ponies would ever drool this much. Or pick up so many fleas.

Someday, those long ribbons of drool will no longer adhere to my jeans, the half chewed bones will stop being hidden in the couch, and I wont be awoken at 5 o' clock in the morning to let her out.

Still, I am happy.

Its good to be somepony's hero.

Ah, yes. The time has finally arrived. A week or so ago, I got the news: Apparently we are officially- on notice. Get your shit out now, the house is ours. I don;t know exactly how long we have, but it may not be long. So I've been a bit busy gathering up my nuts and storing them somewhere safe from the bank's grabby paws. As soon as I find a hollow tree wit internet access, I'll be good to go, but until then, I have to get my valuables stowed away- far away, lest I lose what little shit I have currently left to my name.

Rest assured I haven't forgotten about ay of the stuff I'm in the midst of making for everyone- I'm going to post one last comic page for a little while, and then begin putting up my finished commission work. Then, hilarity ensues as I try to find a new home!!! For right now, looks like that's my fucking CAR!- I shit you not. It wouldn't be so bad if it was a big car, the seats would fold down.

Here's for hoping I can find that hollow tree that's calling my name- and that its temporary housing until I build the house I REALLY want. God knows I can't afford to BUY one…