Will be coloring  orange04's commission and watching Community! I'll post a link five minutes out. c:

He wants me to attend three weeks of physical therapy/rehabilitation so that I can regain the ability to walk like a functional member of society.

Sigh.

(once again yanked from mrsred )

-Put your MP3 player on shuffle
-For each question push the 'next' button for a new song
-Choose a segment of lyrics from the song for your answer

If someone asks, "Are you OK?" You say...
"Viva la Vida" - Boyce Avenue
"One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me, and I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand."


How would you describe yourself?
"I'm Still Here" - Johnny Rzeznik
"I am a question to the world, Not an answer to be heard."


What do you look for in a guy/girl?
"Life Support" - RENT
"Look, I find some of what you teach... suspect, because I'm used to relying on intellect, but I try to open up to what I don't know. Because reason says I should have died three years ago."


How do you feel today?
"No Such Thing" - John Mayer
"Well I never lived the dreams of the prom kings, and the drama queens, I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve."


What is your life's purpose?
"One Song Glory" - RENT
"Find one song, one last refrain, glory, from the pretty boy front man who wasted opportunity ..."


Whats your motto?
"Precious Illusions" - Alanis Morissette
"But this won't work now the way it once did, and I won't keep it up even though I would love to. Once I know who I'm not then I'll know who I am, but I know I won't keep on playing the victim."


What do your friends think of you?
"Trust Me" - The Fray
"I found a friend or should I say foe, said there's a few things you should know, we don't want you to see we come and we go, here today, gone tomorrow."


What do your parents think of you?
"Somebody to Love" - Queen
"Got no feel, I got no rhythm, I just keep losing my beat, I'm ok, I'm alright, ain't gonna face no defeat, I just gotta get out of this prison cell, someday I'm gonna be free, Lord! "


What do you think about often?
"I'll Cover You (Reprise)" - RENT
"I've longed to discover something as true as this is, so with a thousand sweet kisses (when you're cold and you're lonely)
With a thousand sweet kisses (you've got one nickel only)
With a thousand sweet kisses (When you're worn out and tired)
With a thousand sweet kisses (When your heart has expired)"


What do you think about your first kiss?
"The Nicest Kids in Town" - Hairspray
And I'm the man who keeps it spinnin' round, Mr. Corny Collins, with the latest, greatest Baltimore sound!"


What do you think of your best friend?
"Down in New Orleans" - Dr. John
"In the South Land there's a city, way down on the river, where the women are very pretty and all the men deliver"


What is your life story?
"Prayer of the Refugee" - Rise Against
"We are the angry and the desperate, the hungry, and the cold, we are the ones who kept quiet, and always did what we were told."


What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Float On" - Modest Mouse
"Bad news comes don't you worry even when it lands, good news will work its way to all them plans"


What do you think when you see the person you love?
"Iris" - Goo Goo Dolls
"You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now."


What will they play at your funeral?
"Wanted Dead or Alive" - Bon Jovi
"It's all the same, only the names will change, everyday it seems we're wasting away. Another place where the faces are so cold, I'd drive all night just to get back home."

What is your hobby/interest?
"What You Own" - RENT
"Dying in America, at the end of the millennium, we're dying in America, at the end of the the milennium, to come into our own."


What is your biggest fear?
"Tango: Maureen" - RENT
"So you think, 'might as well!' dance a tango to Hell, at least I'll have tangoed at all!"


What is your biggest secret?
"Fully Alive" - Flyleaf
"All my complaints shrink to nothing, I'm ashamed of all my somethings; she's glad for one day of comfort, only because she has suffered."


What do you want right now?
"Poor, Wayfaring Stranger" - Peter Hollens and the Single Singers
"I'll soon be free of earthly trials, my body asleep in the old church yard, I'll drop the cross of self-denial and enter in my great reward." (Not death, just... peace.)

What do you think of your friends?
"Seasons of Love" - RENT
"It's time now, to sing out, though the story never ends; let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends!"

shamelessly pilfered from MrsRed

1. We all know what we call you, what about the folks at home? Whats your name?
Patricia Lynn.

2. How tall are you?
5'10".

3. Natural hair color? (if you can remember it)
Dark brown.

3. What about eye color?
Hazel.

4. What orientation are you?
Hetero-asexual.

5. Are you single, taken, or undecided?
Single, not looking.

6. What do you do in your spare time?
I art and endlessly replay the Mass Effect series and other such vidya gamez.

7. What's your job?
I am a freelance artist/professional cripple at the moment.

8. What's one thing you like about yourself?
I'm not stupid.

9. Alright, now what about something you dislike about yourself?
Everything excepting the fact that I am not stupid.

10. What are some things your friends noticed about you when they first met you?
That I'm strikingly unattractive, yaaay

Good! Hold on, yer coming up on some deeper questions now... ready?

11. Of what faith/religion are you(if any)?
Raised Catholic, but converted to Unitarian Universalism around 15. Personal beliefs are a hybrid of Non-denominational Christianity and Buddhism.

12. Do you drink?
Rarely. And never to get drunk.

13. Do you smoke?
I was raised by two-pack-a-day smokers. No thank you.

14. What are your fears?
At the moment, it's being permanently crippled in my knee. Over a month later it still hurts to walk.

15. What are your dreams/goals?
I'd like to be a professional dog groomer.

16.Ever had any crushes/ex's in the past/present?
No.

Almost done!!! Time for some lighter topics now :D

17. Who are your best buds?
On this site? fightthenoise, spoof-the-mutt, daggerleonelli, ngw and sanurapanthress

18. Alright, you got the cravin' for munchies, what'cha reachin' for?
Something fattening.

19. Favorite drink?
Ice water, actually.

20. Favorite color?
All shades of green and brown.

21. If you had any super power, what would it be?
Shapeshifting.

22. Favorite movie?
The film versions of RENT and Hairspray.

23. Least favorite food?
Italian food. Sorry, pasta.

24. Quick! You have only one meal left before you die!!! What is it?
The world's rarest truffle. That way, while they are out searching for the truffle, I will be able to escape from death row.

25. What do you drive/wish you drove?
A 1967 black Chevy Impala. :|

Last 5 questions. You're in the homestretch, come on, you can make it! Lets see what gets under your skin.

26. Most disliked bug?
Spiders spiders oh my god spiders

27. Most hated pet peeves?
Lying. See also: pretending to care when you really don't give a shit.

28. Dislike in life?
I don't like cats. And while many people grate on my nerves I can't categorize anyone, really.

29. Most annoying sound?
My cat meowling at my window at 3 AM.

30. Mot disliked TV show?
The entire compendium of reality television, except the stuff on Discovery Channel.

uhhh the end

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7710063/

Everything you need to know is at the link! Trying to prepare for a visit from a friend on the 30th! :D

So this morning at around 6 AM I get a beep on my phone. Oh boy! A voice mail! Let's check that shit out.

"Oh Miss Patricia do not forget your VERY IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT with a SUPER SPECIAL ORTHOPEDIC DOCTOR in the next town over this morning at 8 AM! You need a copy of your MRI to bring with you!"

Okay so I was never informed of this appointment before now. I knew I had a check up appointment on the 21st but thought it was here in town with my regular doctor.

You know.

Like the appointment card and the nurse practitioner I saw -said-.

But I digress.

So I have to call the hospital where I got the MRI done and was fortunate enough to get a really sweet lady to push my information through (they normally need 24 hours notice and I gave her like an hour and 15 minutes) and get it to me at 7:30.

Also my dad took his truck back to work on it and I was left to drive my Corrola for this adventure. My car is, of course, a manual transmission and OH BOY IS A CLUTCH FUN WHEN YOU CAN BARELY STRAIGHTEN OUT YOUR LEG.

So I make it to the orthopedic surgeon's office, and they take a couple new x-rays and sit me in a room for 45 minutes to wait for the doctor. He gets in and tells me that I actually have a hairline fracture on my tibia from where my lateral collateral ligament pulled hard during my fall. Said that should heal on its own, it wasn't too severe.

Said LCL is also traumatized and torn up a bit. I also tore my meniscus ligament in the fall. Helpful diagram:

http://i40.tinypic.com/2ry3ax5.jpg

(this file is called "knee boo boos")

But anyway so the doctor said "yeah so if you hadn't gotten this checked out any sooner there's a good chance your kneecap might have been permanently traumatized and made all walking painful forever".

Oh. Okay.

So he gives me some exercises to do. He suspects that I actually dislocated my knee cap during or shortly after the fall and that I was lucky enough to have it slide back into place on its own. The exercises are to strengthen the quadriceps of my front thigh - the muscles responsible for holding the knee cap in place - to help stop that from happening again. Oh boy they are painful.

Then he writes me a script to go get a hinged knee brace in the next town over from mine, so off I go on a 30 minute drive only to be told "YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT COME BACK FRIDAY".

So when I get home, my leg screaming from having to clutch-break-gas-clutch-clutch-CLUTCH, the cats are whining in the garage for more SOMETHING and I limp out there only for Mika - the cat I actually almost hate - barges in past me.

The cats are not allowed in the house after they brought in whatever killed Gypsy and almost got Boodle.

So I close the door behind her so Wolfwood doesn't dart inside and find that the cats have food. And clean water. And a clean litter box. So Mika was just being a little shit. I am annoyed.

I turn to open the door to get back in the house

only to find that it is locked

"no no no nonononoNONONO"

This door is NEVER locked.

So I'm tearing at the doorknob hoping it'll open because I have no shoes on and my phone and keys are inside but to no avail. I am locked out.

So I scream "MOTHERFUCKING CAT" a few times and pound on the door and almost start crying because it would happen now

So I start limping to our neighbor's house. And I have to sit in her porch chair for five minutes or so before she pulls up on her bicycle and invites me in to use her phone. She is a very kind old lady we've known for years and she gives me water and "you poor dear"s until my mom shows up to let me in.

And then as soon as the front door opens

the cat just dashes outside (even though the garage is left permanently cracked open)

:|

I resist the urge to scream again and go inside and pass out until 7PM.

And here we are.

Yep! Tomorrow I'm having an MRI done on my knee, so we should have a definitive diagnosis sometime next week.

I can walk around a bit better now, but I still can't stand for long periods of time and whenever I do walk around, even from my bedroom to the bathroom, I get a sharp, stabbing pain in my knee. My left foot was also crazy swollen for about a week so that was unnerving. I was put on Naproxen, an anti-inflammatory, and my foot is a lot better now (though still slightly swollen).

Art Update!: I've sketched out 2 of my 4 commissions with hopes of sketching the other two tomorrow after my appointment. c: So progress is being made, albeit slowly! My sister is visiting for Spring Break so I haven't had a lot of time to draw between family time and trying to keep my leg elevated.

ALSO. Looking for some advice on an Admin/Moderator issue off-site:

I run an Original X-Men group over on deviantART that's primarily directed towards originality in characters. We discourage work containing canon characters specifically because there are at least three fan groups for every single character in the Marvel universe on dA. I wanted a special place for those of us who like our original characters to be able to post art of their own brain children.

We've gotten the occasional requests to submit fan art of the canon X-Team into the main gallery from artists who don't speak English, so I can forgive that.

However, I opened up my dA inbox today and was astounded to find SIXTY SIX (66) submission requests into the main gallery.

There is no quality standard for the group, so the fact that the art in question is mostly made in MS Paint isn't the issue. The issue is that every single image features the character Gambit in a very predominant role in the picture.

The other issue is that the "original character" that also appears in these images is a self-insert. A pretty obvious one. The artist refers to the character as "me".

So I'm at a loss here. I couldn't even find evidence that the self-insert was a mutant until page 8 of 12ish in the submissions pages: a single picture featuring her wearing an X-Men uniform.

I guess my question is: Should I allow these submissions into the group? There are 66 of them and I don't want to flood the club with admittedly low-quality art of a CanonxOC pairing where the material seems to be less about the OC and more about the romance between her and a canon character.

uhhhhh help?

Tired. Depressed.

Gonna sleep for a while then hop into commissions.

Still in NY. t's been two days since I twisted my knee and the pain's about the same. I can't bend my leg too far or straighten it out completely so getting up to use the bathroom is... an adventure.

I've been keeping it compressed via Ace bandages but elevation's been hard to keep steady. Put it on ice the first day and took a hot bath that night. Also been taking Ibuprofen once a day to keep the pain at bay.

I don't know what's going to happen when I get home, but I'm worried. Dad's understandably concerned that our last night (which we're pulling out of) won't be refunded by the hotel.

We leave Garden City at 3AM tomorrow morning with the hopes of getting to Savannah Georgia by 5PM where we'll stay the night.

Sorry I haven't been able to do the sketches I promised. It's incredibly difficult to stay comfortable for too long and try to draw. I'll be working on them the second I get back to my art computer.

Sooo yeah. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all the well-wishes. It means more to me than words can express.

So laaaaate Tuesday night we arrived in New Jersey after 20 hours of straight driving, terrible traffic jams and the inability to make a left-hand turn

And yesterday dad decided "hey let's go to Mount Holly and visit my old haunts from when I was a wee lad"

So off we go, looking at his old house and the houses of his friends, eating at one of his favorite old diners, etc

Then he pulls up to these woods where he used to play when he was 11-12 years old

"hey wow let's go check it out"

It's raining and there are no paths and also it is 40 degrees outside

"... are you sure, dad?"

"yeah let's go"

so we go

Actually there are fallen trees blocking the way into the woods to dissuade people from venturing back there

"P'SHAW" declared my father, and we climbed over said trees to venture into the woods

there was a tiny creek flowing through these woods and it was muddy and slippery and there were leaves everywhere

Dad stepped over because he is a giant

I am terribly notorious for my poor balance so I was like "hey wow I'm just gonna stay over here okay"

"NO COME ON GOSH"

"oh ok"

so I end up stepping right in the freezing water and getting my shoe soaked before I finally got across

We went on a quick exploration to find an old pond or whatever dad and his friends used to frequent. couldn't find it. dad threw his hands up and gave up after a while and so we headed back

We were almost to the river when a root covered in slimy mud and fallen leaves appeared directly in my path

I mis-stepped and the mud gave way and suddenly I was falling backwards

oh but not before I heard two very distinctive pops in my left knee followed by blinding pain. Pretty sure I twisted it something awful

so down I was in the mud, trying not to cry and I was swearing a lot to keep myself from screaming

the first thing out of my dad's mouth is "shit" followed by "you know you're not under medical coverage!"

so yeah way to make me feel better dude

I finally got back up after a few minutes and my knee was shaking hard and I could feel the bones rubbing against each other

SO I had to go back through the creek

Got the shoe on my good foot sucked down into the mud (brand new shoes sigh)

had to continue with one foot shoeless

had to climb back over the fallen trees (and there were like four of the damned things) and take frequent rest tops because my back and good leg didn't like supporting all my weight

FINALLY get back to the rental car

covered in mud

in pain

trying not to cry because I've inconvenienced my dad so much

Finally close the doors and breathe a sigh of relief

before he even starts the car he turns to me and says "we told you this would happen when you dropped out of school, I can't take you to the emergency room and pay all that money, let's just keep going to Long Island and see if you feel better"

So yeah then we sit in silence the entire two hours trip and I'm fighting back tears the whole time because I'm such a failure

And now dad's insisting we don't leave until Saturday to beat traffic

So I'm stranded in this hotel room with a knee still in such terrible pain that I can barely manage to roll over in bed or hobble to the bathroom

Dad's out exploring his old haunts here on Long Island, "trying to salvage at least some of the trip"

And I have to wait until Monday to see a doctor about my leg

/update

Yep! My dad invited me last minute to head up the east coast with him, so I'll be out for about a week!

My desktop PC here at home is the one I do all my art on, so all I'll be able to work on are sketches. BUT I intend on finishing everyone's sketches on the road and will hopefully be able to send them out to you lovely commissioners using the camera in my phone.

That's about it!

Oh, and thanks very much to everyone who weighed in on the last journal! Brilliant responses, I'm glad that attitude still means something. c:

So there are many talented artists here on FA and on the rest of the internet. Many of my watchers are artists who make their living or supplement their income through taking commissions.

Now I know many artists who are kind and lovely people. I've made friends with a few! And I've also made friends with people who have commissioned me, for the same reason: they're nice and generous individuals.

And then I flip through Artists_Beware or catch other journals from the people I follow. And they might be a little snippy, maybe a little off-putting.

Maybe it's just me, but when I commission someone, I prefer to deal with people who are friendly and courteous. And I'm not saying that every artist must ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET OF FRIENDSHIP AND BFF-ERY when corresponding with clients! Far from it! I prefer to be open and approachable but not overtly casual unless the customer is someone I've done business with before.

I appreciate the work of many artists whose personalities rub me the wrong way, and they never really come to mind when I search out people to render my characters.

So I guess that my question for you folks is this:

Do you take an artist's disposition into account before deciding to commission them?

Artists, too! If a commissioner's attitude isn't your cup of tea, do you consider turning down their offer?

Thankfully, I've never been approached by a commissioner who wasn't nice and understanding in their request, but I've read many horror stories about people - artists and commissioners alike - being very rude, demanding or outright nasty.

Do you folks have any similar tales? No names, please! This post is not for mudslinging!

Hey guys. My brother and sister's birthdays are coming up soon (April 8th and 6th, respectively) and I'd like to actually be able to get them something this year. @_@

SO. Here are examples of what you'll be getting:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5038437/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6989152/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7053638/

Base price is $40 for a single character, add $15 per extra character (2 is the limit)

There's a $15 porn tax as well, 'cause porn takes me forever to draw, mang

You'll also be provided the SAI/PSD file, too, so you or someone else can properly shade it.

PayPal only! And payment must be made within 24 hours. c:

Slots:
1.  ladyloki
2.  vindictiivespet
3.  databank

Puppy Updates

So this last week has been the worst one of my life. The past two journals detail why; my pomeranian, Boodle, became very sick. His mother developed the same symptoms two days later and passed away.

Rest in peace, baby girl. We'll always love you and you'll forever be missed.

We were 90% sure Boodle wouldn't make it, either.

But today we brought home a happy, healthy (but very tired) Boodle. Photos of homeward Boodle:

At the vet yesterday, two days after being essentially dead on his paws
On the way home this evening

The vet thinks it might have been e. coli or salmonella. We're still completely in the dark as to how it happened, though it's almost positive that whatever it was made it inside on our two cats.

Either way, Boodle's okay. He's eating again, drinking plenty of water. Still kinda sleepy, taking a lot of naps and very thin, but I'm hopeful that he'll make a full recovery.

Commission Ideas

After my last two commissions are finished, I'm going to take a few more presketched commissions! Was wondering what y'all would like to see. I've gotten a few more requests for shibari, so that'll happen. They tend to be lady pin-ups, but I could try males, too, if there's enough interest.

A while ago I wrote about my baby boy, Boodle, becoming very sick. We brought him home yesterday morning, essentially, to die. At home on a warm bed, surrounded by people who love him, telling him how special he is and how much he means to us.

When we got him home, his mama, Gypsy, was very quiet and kind of wheezy, the same way Boodle was when he first took him in. We took her up immediately and admitted her for antibiotics and intravenous therapy.

I spent all night with Boodle, stroking him, rubbing his ears, giving him kisses. Saying goodbye. Around 4 in the morning he became very restless, shivery, and very wheezy, so my mom gave him a sedative the vet had allowed us to take home with us. We decided that we couldn’t let him get to that point again. We said that in the morning, we would take him in to put him to sleep.

But then we received a call from the vet saying that they think the dogs might have a condition called leptospirosis, which is a contagious viral/bacterial infection. It’s common in wooded areas, so our best guess is that our cats (who are indoor-outdoor cats) carried it inside. Many dogs make a full recovery.

With this news, my mom and I decided that we couldn’t put Boodle down knowing there was still hope. So we brought him up to the vet again at around 11AM and had him admitted. While we were there, we saw Gypsy. She looked okay. Tired, but okay. Tiny, black pomeranian, with a little white spot under her eye. We loved on her, hugged her.

“She’s my heart, doctor,” my mom told the doctor as she handed Gypsy back.

“Don’t break her,” I told him with a sad smile.

And we left, knowing that if Boodle did pass, we’ll have said our goodbyes and told him how much we love him.

At five thirty this afternoon, after I woke up, I received a call from the vet’s office.

Gypsy’s passed away.

She’d begun to vomit blood and seize. They gave her Valium to stop the seizures, but they couldn’t save her.

We’ve had Gypsy since 2000. She was just a pup, eight weeks old. She’s been with us for so long. But she was my mama’s baby. Whenever mom was over, Gypsy only had eyes for her.

I was the one who broke the news to my mother. I could hear her heart break over the phone. We didn’t really get to say goodbye to Gypsy. We were so sure she’d be okay.

The house is so quiet now. No barking when I come through the front door or when I pick up my keys. I keep having to stop myself from letting the pups out back to go potty.

There’s a void in my heart that only two doggies can fill. Two very special, very amazing puppies.

When he delivered the news of Gypsy’s passing, the vet said that Boodle seemed to be doing okay. I can only hope for the best.

If you have a special furry, feathered or scaly friend in your life, please hug them extra hard. For me. For you.

Let them know how much you love them. How much they’ve enriched your life. Scratch them behind the ear. Kiss their forehead. Let them curl up in your lap.

Make sure that they know how much they’re loved. They already know, but they deserve to be told everyday.

You never know when something can happen.

Please, just let them know.

My Boodle’s going through renal failure and it’s often irreversible.

He’s only nine years old. I don’t want him to go, he’s like my best friend.

He’s at the hospital now getting his kidneys flushed

but I just don’t know what’s going to happen

I’m not ready to say good-bye

he was supposed to come with me when I moved out and die peacefully in his sleep in another five years

he’s just a baby

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7362731/

Previous examples below:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7291365
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7290426
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7289274

Probably around 4 or 5PM EST. They'll be $50 each once again. c:

Previous examples below:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7291365
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7290426
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7289274

So be on the lookout later today~ Ladies again.

Check them out over here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7281948

I'm incredibly sick right now. This is probably the worst head cold I have ever had and I think it's affecting my ability to art.

Nothing looks right and my faces and anatomy are turning out all wonky. I don't want to deliver subpar work so I keep scrapping things and starting over.

I've been prescribed some cough suppressants and have been downing DayQuil like a madwoman, but I can still only manage to grab three or four hours of sleep at once if I'm lucky.

I'm really sorry guys. I'm still trying.

To Do List:
1.  kusatsu - sketching
2.  ladyloki - brainstorming
3.  AlphaZion - finished

Username's LadyZolstice.

Won't be playing anything till after Christmas but I could use some buddies over there.

Would anyone be interested in those? I am really awful at drawing furries at the moment. These will be worked on pretty quickly, should have them done before Christmas.

$25 for quality like this: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6319474/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6355583/
Add $10 for an extra character. No porn this time around.

Just trying to get back into the swing of commissions.

You'll also get the high-res file for someone else to color.

Any takers? I'll take three.

SLOTS:
1.  taasla - PAID
2.  chattanooga - PAID, sketching
3.  ladyloki -PAID, sketched
4. Private - PAID

So on Thursday, I received the news that I was being dismissed from dental hygiene school because, since two of the patients I was counting on for processes did not show up to the clinic for their final appointments, I did not meet clinic requirements.

And, really, I'm okay with that. I hated the repetitive, tedious clinical work and the stress it was putting on my back and wrists. I loved interacting with patients and was told several times that I had a wonderful chairside demeanor, but the work itself was... soul-crushing.

So for the first time in my life, I find myself going into a semester without taking any classes. I'll see if I can find a job, work on my mental and physical shortcomings, see what I'd like to do with my life. Mom's all right with it, but she had this to say when I broke the news to her: "I'd just really like to see you put yourself first for once."

And that's what I intend to do.

Happy holidays, everyone.

Apparently we are going to Washington state this summer! We'll travel up through the Canadian rockies, pass through Vancouver, and spend some time in Alaska before ferrying back down to Seattle. I am excited; Seattle's one of my four dream-places-to-live.

What sort of things are there to do up there?