Brainwaves of Sken

This is my first year as Mr. Dr. Kennedy, heh, and (for those of you itching to say the words, “So how’s married life?”), it’s been all good thus far.

Christmas holidays went off without a hitch – I think next year we’ll pull the train set (for the tree) out early and have fun adding things to it like roads and little trees. :) We visited family I haven’t seen in a few years (Hi fam!), which was pretty awesome, despite being on the east coast during the first worst snowstorm of the year.

Work has its ups and down, but I’ve challenged myself in new ways and they seem to appreciate when I can bust out a complicated show in record time, so I’ll take that for what it is.

I am lucky enough to have a community of friends that make me want to volunteer, even in years I’ve said I won’t, so I continue to do small things for the local conventions. I got 4 books signed by 4 authors I enjoy, both professionally and personally. I know it shouldn’t matter when it comes to art, but I enjoy my purchases more when I think the person (or company) behind them is likeable.

This year, Carrie and I collab’d on an awesome front cover for This Confusion Is Not Yet Rated (one of the weirdest convention names I have ever heard). In a few months, Mc Frontalot will be in town for Penguicon, and I have a lot of work to do if I want his concert to be successful. Which, well… I asked him to come for Pcon, so it’d be a bit of a waste if I didn’t make it the best it can be, eh?

Visiting the doctor in December left me a little concerned for my lung capacity, so I’ve been steadily working on that with a daily inhaler and a lung exercise device. It’s only after she said I breathe like an 80 year old that I realized that I am short of breath more than I realize. Things are much better now! I’m hoping to get into PT for my wonky back, but it’s really, really hard. One thing I don’t like about the job is that it’s hell to take PTO.

I look as devastatingly handsome as ever. Along with the PTO, I’d like to lose some pounds, because I’m an American citizen, and this is what we do.

In the virtual worlds, my princess of Albion has a fiercely loyal poodle and my goblin Wembley has a pink flamingo and a monkey (Wendell) that flings poo. So at least I have that going for me. Scarvo has taken up a little too much of my time, though – I’m glad I took six months off for the wedding and afterward, but some days he feels like a job without much of a reward. I had way more fun finding my monkey than I did, say, gearing up for raiding. I feel like my guild is breaking up into niches, kinda like my last guild did, and half the reason I play at all is to chat with all the fascinating people. I want to say ENOUGH BITCHING ALREADY, y’know?

That’s largely where I am this year, actually – almost every time I lose patience with someone these days, it’s because I feel like they’ve completely lost sight of the good things about their situation. I’m sure there are plenty of things I could gripe about, but too much complaining just forces your brain to relive things over and over, and who needs that crap? It’s like crafting your own emotional baggage (I’m still in for a good coffeehouse kvetch though, ;) call me).

I’ve had some great ideas for an electronics kit that I haven’t made much headway on so far. I saw something the size of a breadbox that was loosely similar to my idea, but way more complicated than it needs to be. I think I’ll end up having to settle down with and understand Arduino after all, to make this thing happen. I built up a portable electronics toolbox with virtually everything I need – I just have to build my Altoids solder-fan and I’ll be all set!

There are a million different ways my life could have gone astray by this point, and I feel really, really lucky overall. I’m happy, I love coming home to my baby, and there are lots of fun things in store for the next year.

Here’s to another awesome year of the Skenn!

~ by Skennedy on January 28, 2011.

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