I had a thought the other day. A simple thing: Take a character like me and give him to several studios to draw. It's easier to say studio because most folks don't know individual animators names, just the style of the studio's production.

Disney

Bluth (I know they don't exist anymore)

Spümcø (same thing)

DHX (MLP FiM's producer)

Hanna-Barbera (not around either)

Williams Street (aka Ghost Planet Industries)

Feel free to add your own style as well

Some I would want to have a cel made and want hanging in my living room. A couple I would probably want to hide under the rug. Not that any were badly drawn (with possibly one exception) but the styles would be so very different from one another that I would be uncomfortable with the results of some.

So, here's a thought the artists out there. Take a character, yours or someone else's and see how they would look like if they had a treatment by the places I've mentioned. A group picture would be interesting to see how they vary.

Well, my birthday came and past. No party, no presents, no cake, no balloons. The only cards I got were from businesses I'm a customer of. I got calls from my brother and one sister but that was all. I did get some well wishes from friends and people on the net, and I thank them for thinking of me. What hurts is some of the ones I am closest to didn't or wouldn't even acknowledge it. I don't expect much from anyone, I would have been happy to even gotten some of the art that has been due me. It just makes me feel as though my life isn't worth anything, even on the day I came into existence.

Well, I'm 63 now. I should be tougher and not as sensitive as I am. There's probably even a few who will say I'm just being butthurt about it all. Perhaps. Maybe I should give up going out of my way for people. Lately it has all been wasted efforts. I probably won't though. I know I'm a good person even without it being acknowledged.

In less than two weeks I'll be having my 63rd birthday. I really don't feel like celebrating.

I want to vent so badly, but I'm too damn polite to say anything, even as much as things ought to be said.

I've tried to be the best person I could be to everyone but it never seems to come back to me.

I guess it is like in Lobo's song "A Simple Man"


"Why do we all make promises that we can't keep?"

"Who do you tell if you don't have a friend?"

"Why do we open our mouths and stick our foot in?"

"Why write words that we have to erase?"

"Why does everyone have more than one face?"

"These are the things that bother me,
Not a lot of things across some sea,
I don't even have a master plan,
I guess that I am just a simple man."


I'm just SO tired of the phonies, the deceitful people who drain me spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

I honestly don't think I could count my real friends on one hand, let alone three fingers of it.

I just saw the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus train pass by. They winter about 25miles south of my home and head for their first performance date a few days before New Year's Day.

And on the 17th I'll be having my 63rd birthday. That means I'll have been 21 three times, or 3 twenty-one times.

Have a wonder-filled day!

I've pretty much put all my sketches, concept art, and ideas in the scraps area. If I can ever get my hands to work properly I will try to do some proper art in the future. I've also added the link to the finished pieces in the sketch's description.

Some things look almost exactly as I envisioned it. Some slightly changed, and a couple of pics that the artist's vision and mine differed.

The doctor has me taking all kinds of things to try to get rid of the cough that won't quit so I guess it will be a bit before I will be my usual self again. At least I'm not hacking and wheezing all the time. For a while I was so tired and weak I couldn't brush the balloons off my bed!

I was healthy enough to make Elliot's Fall festival. It is always a good party to go to, I wish I could convince some friends to plan their vacation so they could attend too. They had lots and lots of candy they gave out, but with my conditions I have to limit what I can have. I can have all the balloons I want but that is just me and I doubt that they would cater to one silly bunny's whims.

Soon it will be time for the big Macy's parade in NYC and soon after that the little one that is at Universal Studios in Orlando. I love that one for the obvious reason though they would never let me take one of those balloons home.

I'm not sure what was ailing me. A month of constant coughing, tired all the time, other nastiness. It was like ten minutes at the keyboard, five in the bathroom, and the rest of the time in bed. But now it's over and I'm feeling better, and just in time for Elliot's Fall Festival!

http://youtu.be/ybp-30dkt5w?list=PL.....6N-KzUuUT_grOY

*squeaks happily*

I'll skip the drive to and from the con, it was miles and miles of miles and miles. I thank Tavimunk for letting me crash for the evening at his place Wednesday night. It broke up the drive and gave me a chance to get some sleep.

MFM is not the biggest con but it is the best as far as I'm concerned. There are much bigger ones out there and they all come off as impersonal and not much more than an artist's flea market. At MFM, it is more like a family reunion. You can visit with friends, go out for a meal, or just relax. They have a pizza feed Friday evening and an ice cream social Sunday night. That plus the Critter Café (con suite) is open to everyone and there are always snacks and sodas at all hours.

I had fun at the inflatable meet and greet and got an orca pooltoy. It would have been nice if there were inflatable bunnies there as well, but that is just me being me. There were also some huge balloons there too. There was a pink one that was as tall as I am and just as round that ended up in the Critter Café. I would have loved to have gotten it but couldn't find out who to ask, so bunny didn't get it. (pouts)

There was a babyfur meet and greet and an MLP one as well and they were fun, in fact all the panels were nice.

The dealer's den was good and I would have gotten more art but didn't have the extra money. Life as usual for me.

I went to the Dinner of the Dons in the Elvis room at Coletta's (Rabbi Tom, we missed you not being there) and after the closing ceremony went to Osaka's to celebrate Peachclover's birthday and anniversary into the furry fandom.

The only downs were (besides not getting the pink balloon) was losing my boonie hat.


This pretty much wraps up my events for the year save for Elliot's Fall Festival. Hopefully I'll be able to attend TFF and FWA next year as well as Megaplex and MFM.

There are too many friends to name individually so big hugs to all of you and hope to see you all again soon.

In less than a week I'll be on my way to MFM for some fun, frivolities and a few balloons too!

Besides a few thrift stores and other places of interest, I shall visit the house of Munk n' skunk. Yay!!!

I am looking for someone to share ride costs with. I'll be leaving the Tampa, FL area on Wednesday the 27th and returning on Monday the 1st.

Megaplex is a memory and MFM is coming up so why am I apprehensive?

Well for me Megaplex started with a downpour that lasted from home to almost arriving in Orlando. I don't mind rain but this was torrential. I have my electric cart on the back of my car and no decent way to cover it, then once I got on I-75 I got a low tire warning. I got out and checked (getting soaked in the process) and they all looked ok. Just to be sure I stopped at the Wawa and filled them up to spec, which got rid of the warning light.

We checked in and went to our room but when Kenny flushed the toilet, (it needed it before he went in) it backed up and flooded the bathroom, the room hallway, and into the main hallway. The desk said they would have it taken care of but it took room service two hours to come and clean up the mess.

A short while later I was going to make myself a cup of coffee when I looked in the water reservoir and found it full of coffee grounds! These coffee makers have a disposable tray with a bag of coffee in it that is slid under the tank. Why the @!%*@ did someone dump coffee grounds in where an unsuspecting person would get a mouthful of $*** if they didn't notice. The front desk apologized and offered to exchange coffeemakers. Uh, do you think I would want to use one that was full of grounds?!?

And, I had a package sent to the hotel that had some mint swirl balloons that Kenny and I had ordered. After all the con is candy themed and we thought it would be neat to have candy balloons. Well, the hotel sprung a $5 charge for what was laughingly called a "handling fee" when I went to pick it up. At least that was the last of the hotel problems.

Megaplex was fun though for whatever reason I didn't have any energy and went to bed around 10 or so each night. I did get to meet some inflatable friends in one of the meet and greets and again in the lobby later in the con. I wished that I could have stayed longer with everything but whatever is screwing with my body had made it difficult.

The con was good short of having too small a room for some of the events. I was a bit miffed at the Barney Fife type who was watching one of the events. First he tells people that they can't go in because it was full. Understandable, luckily someone higher up in the staff arranged for a second room for us, but even when the first room was getting empty later on, Barney kept demanding to know how many people were in the room. Uh, take a look and see for yourself instead of asking the attendees? I should not complain about untrained volunteers though. I have been informed that the hotel was being anal about it so I can't blame the room guardian either.

No complaints otherwise. Megaplex is a good con and I will be attending next year if possible.

Now to see what MFM brings . . .

I went into a Dairy Queen the other day and near the entrance was a table with some balloons, a tip jar, and some other clownish things. I didn't see anyone at the table and on a whim dropped some change in the jar, took a balloon, and made a sitting dog to put on the order number thingie while I waited for my lunch.

This woman in what loosely could be called a clown costume came up to me while I was sitting and demanded where I got it from. I said that I twisted it. She then took it off the card and tossed it in the trash bin. I asked her why she did that, but she wouldn't answer me. I suppose if she really wanted to insult me she would have broken it in my face first.

I finished my lunch and looked at the advertisement she had on the wall. The usual birthday party clown nonsense with the word 'Christian' emphasized. She was sitting down when I came up to her and introduced myself. She looked like she would rather be somewhere else. Her makeup wasn't the worst I've seen and I've seen some things that would have made "Killer Klowns" look downright cheerful.

I told her that I had been working with balloons for more than forty years. That I had performed as a clown at state fairs, company picnics, and store promotions. She asked if I was a clown (I had said so more than once) and if I was still doing it. I said that I haven't in quite a while due to my health and that life on the road was hard and lonely at times.

She told me that she was a clown for the Lord, which I replied "aren't we all?" She gave me an angry look and said "No" She then went into a speech about how she was telling children about Jesus at which time I smiled, said goodbye cheerfully, and went out the door.

I could have said many things, I didn't.

I could have said that being a clown is as much attitude as attire. Frowns and sad faces are normal on Tramp clowns but not on any other kind. Even then they still smile.

A clown's purpose is to amuse and entertain. Proselytizing is better left to someone who isn't wearing a rubber nose. I did NOT say it can't or shouldn't be done, Joy and rejoicing are important, but if preaching, not teaching by entertaining, is the only reason for wearing greasepaint, then it is dishonest and a disservice to both clowns and Christ.

There is much I could have said but I suspect the result would be the same as far as she was concerned.

The house is nice and cool now but the downside is that I am able to stay inside and look at all the junk that has been laying around here. I suppose I could use the excuse that I haven't been in the best of shape to do much cleaning and fixing the place up, but that doesn't get anything done.

After a scorching Saturday and a sweltering Sunday, Monday finally arrives. I thought I might get some help from the county to fix the AC but apparently not. They pointed me to another place and said they would help. The person there said I needed to fill out forms and then when they approved me, they would fix more than the AC. I said that it's just an old mobile home. He turned to his side and said "We only work on houses" then said "thank you" and showed me the door.

I then stopped at a Heating/Air-conditioning place and told them my problem and that I couldn't afford a service call for what I've already figured out. The shop owner said that there was a unit coming in that had been replaced and I could have the motor from that to replace the bad one from my unit. He told me the fan blades would be easy to remove from my motor, but I spent most of the day trying to get it off.

Afternoon came and the scrap air conditioner was at the shop, so I went over and removed the motor and scrapped the rest of it out for them. I still couldn't get the accursed fan blades off the old motor so one of the technicians there said he could do it easily. He brought out a puller that sat over the blades and screwed into the hub of the fan and had a long screw in the center that would push the blade off the shaft of the motor. It took a couple minutes but he did it and I headed home with a used motor and the fan blades from the old one.

Ten minutes later I had mounted the new/used motor in the AC unit, wired it up, put the fan blades on from the old motor, and threw the breakers. OMG, it's working!!! I reassembled the cover and tightened it down and went inside to see how well it was working.

At 6:30PM the temp is in the mid 80's and getting cooler.

A pink bunny should be a sign of health and mischief, not one that looks like it is ready to serve for dinner.

Friday was all rain, all day and had the effect of:

1) killing my air conditioner, which of course on a late Friday afternoon means I can't find anyone to work on it that I can afford.

2) aggravating my arthritis, that was already making me miserable, a new experience in pain with every movement .

3) made the house hot and miserable to be in. Even with the windows open and all the fans going full blast it was 87 degrees inside at 9PM.

4) when I went outside to cool down a little, I'm attacked by mosquitos, no-see-ums, gnats, and all forms of flying and biting pests.

Saturday wasn't any better though I spent some time at Pandr's. He was busy most of the time team playing in Dead Space 3 so I didn't want to disturb him.

Hopefully Sunday will be better though it will be Monday before I can get the AC fixed.

I humbly apologize to the 49 gods whom I must have offended (and to someone whom I haven't been able to contact)

Bunny needs a break.

The bills are caught up, everything is budgeted out and I'm thinking of having a commission or two done. Only thing is I don't know what to have this balloon loving bunny doing. He could be playing with them, blowing them up, or having them blow him up instead.

Any suggestions?

Tired bunny is tired. First the gastroenterologist with the results of the colonoscopy. There is a polyp that he wasn't able to remove so he wants me to do the whole colonoscopy thing over again with the nasty tasting gallon of ick and the atomic diarrhea it creates. That and he wants me to consult a surgeon in case something goes wrong with the procedure and I need emergency surgery.

Back home for a couple hours then off to the pulmonologist's office for the first of two nights of sleep studies. (Polysomnography) This one is without the CPAP so it's a night of earthshaking snoring. That and having a couple dozen electrodes attached for EEG, EOG, EMG, ECG, airflow, and pulse oximetry.

I know what Pinocchio felt like before losing his strings. All this and having to stay in a strange room with a camera watching your every move. I slept (he said) but I sure didn't get any rest.

Morning came early and since I wasn't quite awake or asleep so I went across the street to the hospital, swiped a large coffee and checked on my email. 7AM finally arrives and I go to Quest Labs for bloodwork. Balloonie bunny getting stuck with a needle isn't fun. Having 5 vials taken isn't fun either.

I managed to get home for 15 minutes then off to the podiatrist for a foot exam. I tell him my wail of toe and about my arch enemy. A word of advice, don't tell corny jokes to a foot doctor. They'll leave you flat.

Finally I get home, get some supper, and almost was able to watch an hour of Babstream.

At least I got some sleep last night.

But Tuesday I go back to the sleep clinic again.

Well, the colonoscopy went as expected but the day before was something else.

First I had a pulmonologist appointment first thing in the morning followed closely by my primary physician appointment. Aftter this I had to start the prep for the colonoscopy the next day.

Have you ever seen a prescription that comes in a gallon jug? I had to mix a gallon of Gatorade with the powder inside it and refrigerate the whole mess overnight. Nothing to eat since the day before and then drink 8oz of this evil concoction every 20 minutes or so until it was gone.

Oh, I didn't say that it is a super laxative and unless I sat on the toilet for the next 6 hours I would need a diaper that poofed down to my knees to stay reasonably clean. This and swallow several little brown pills that do pretty much the same thing as the evil liquid. Weird to be alternating between feeling like an overfilled waterbomb and then a deflated balloon, but so the day went.

Getting up at the crack of night I drove up to the surgery center where the test would be done. In the predawn hours I had the IV put in, was walked over to the surgical suite, I climbed on the table and was told to lie on my side, and then given a dose of propanol.

Next thing I knew was that I was in recovery and living up to the name of squeakybunny by the sound.

Just my luck, I get inflated and wasn't able to enjoy it. No balloon for being a good patient. Maybe the doc thought that I was the balloon and blew me up instead?

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13281899/

Now I wait for the results and see what happens next.

I've been a bit hesitant to commission anything new lately. I do have a few pieces that have been in limbo for a while and am hoping they arrive soon.

I can accept and understand the artists who are doing art in their spare time and let others know that it might be a while. I also pay ahead as most artists demand it because of the deadbeats that have something drawn and do not pay for it.

But what of the artists who are so anxious for you to pay, then sit on your commission for weeks or months or to whenever they feel like working on it?

What of the artists whom you give a description of what you want and then when it is 'finished', it isn't what you wanted or is changed in a way that doesn't make sense?

And then there are the ones who go so far 'off model' that no one would recognize it as your character, or worse, so badly drawn that you would be ashamed to post it.

Also then there is the few who will take what was a pay what you want commission and when you get something less than what was agreed to back, get told that it was a regular priced commission and if you wanted better, you should have paid for it.

I've been burned several times in these ways and yet take an optimistic view of things. Even to the point of giving someone a second chance as everyone has a bad day now and then. My funds are limited and I often have to wait for discounts to get art.

I don't blame the artist for not putting out maximum effort on these type of things. I do feel a bit cheated when the art looks like it was scribbled out just to get it out of the way.

Don't look for them on my pages. I don't post them because I don't want to embarrass the artist (or myself for that matter) NO artist is named or described, but I guarantee that I'll be bitched at by someone for exposing them.

To those I say "the guilty flee when no one pursues them"

There are so many of my friends who are going through a very rough time and I really don't know what to say without putting my foot in my mouth.

It is the talent (or curse) I have of saying the wrong thing and only realizing it later. If I don't say something, it looks like I don't care, yet if I do, there are better than even odds that I'll say some dumbass remark that hurts instead of helps.

Should fear keep me from showing concern or should I dare open my big mouth and risk offending or discouraging someone unintentionally ?

Checking on things the other day I notices that the helium cylinder I own was almost empty. In fact there was just enough to fill a foil Rainbow Dash I got at MFM last year. I know there is a "shortage" if one exists, so I expected to see an increase in tank exchanges.

What floored me is that the price had doubled since I had it done last year! One place told me that it would be $180+ for my 110cu foot cylinder while everyone else said it would be about $100 to $118 for the same thing. I'm not a happy bunny.

It's a moot point anyway since I swallowed a $2,500 pill last month ( http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/11/21/.....9/100_1510.jpg if you're curious. ) Even with my insurance it put a big hole in my budget for the near future.

Another thing I've learned is that no matter what someone says, it can be misinterpeted. I usually have that problem when talking to someone from another country. American idioms and sayings don't translate. Puns don't work, and the same word can have totally different meanings.

Sad to say it causes no end of grief and confusion. I sometimes feel that I have to think twice about everything I say or it will make someone angry. *shakes head sadly*

To all whom I've made feel slighted, forgive me. I make enough mistakes as it is. I suppose it's because I'm only human.

Well, I don't feel any different being older so it must be ok to become ancient. I wonder what next year will be like?

Thanks to all who sent me birthday wishes.

I am 62 today. Official old fartage alert! It sure feels weird to be that old outside and so young inside.