My district manager asked how the full time schedule was suiting me. I partially lied by replying that it was great and then changing the subject.
The paychecks have been necessary and well-earned. We've all been working so hard at the store this summer. The busy season of summer in a paint store is intense, but we often make sure that we have fun in between the serious-get-down-to-business, throw-these-80-gallons-in-the-shaker-and-ring-them-up kind of times. The physical and mental demands are actually pretty exhausting. I have problems matching faces with names and paint companies, but at least I don't forget a face or the personality behind it.
This past weekend was a great relief as Matthew and I had a couple of days off together. We went to Washington Park - again. We just can't seem to get enough of that place! We took a trail that we had not ventured on before and ended up in a little clearing that was dominated by an owl. Matthew spotted a couple of owl pellets on the ground and as we looked around, we realized there was not a squirrel, bird, chipmunk, elephant, or viper snake in the area. The owl's presence was well known in the area to all others who lived there. (Perhaps elephants and vipers don't live there normally, but maybe they would consider relocation if the owl would move away.)
We took several photos for drawing references for later of tree bark, leaves, tree branches, flowers, and any other thing that caught our eye. We ended our park venture with a session of Ninja drawing, which is quickly turning into a favorite park pastime. The outcome of sketches are not wonderful. I tried to draw people that were clear across the park from us at one point and ended up with a tiny scribble of a figure that looked like John Lennon and when I tried to correct it, it just made it look like it was John Lennon as an Egyptian Sphinx (see above). To add insult to injury, I couldn't spell Sphinx.
But some days are like that and I think it is just to keep us guessing and laughing at ourselves. I hope that despite how busy we can get that we all seek and find opportunities to enjoy ourselves enough to keep us enlivened with energy. A little jumpstart of looking at a pretty flower, being an explorer for a day with a loved one, or drawing people who have no idea that you're drawing them doesn't hurt!
Love to all -
The paychecks have been necessary and well-earned. We've all been working so hard at the store this summer. The busy season of summer in a paint store is intense, but we often make sure that we have fun in between the serious-get-down-to-business, throw-these-80-gallons-in-the-shaker-and-ring-them-up kind of times. The physical and mental demands are actually pretty exhausting. I have problems matching faces with names and paint companies, but at least I don't forget a face or the personality behind it.
This past weekend was a great relief as Matthew and I had a couple of days off together. We went to Washington Park - again. We just can't seem to get enough of that place! We took a trail that we had not ventured on before and ended up in a little clearing that was dominated by an owl. Matthew spotted a couple of owl pellets on the ground and as we looked around, we realized there was not a squirrel, bird, chipmunk, elephant, or viper snake in the area. The owl's presence was well known in the area to all others who lived there. (Perhaps elephants and vipers don't live there normally, but maybe they would consider relocation if the owl would move away.)
We took several photos for drawing references for later of tree bark, leaves, tree branches, flowers, and any other thing that caught our eye. We ended our park venture with a session of Ninja drawing, which is quickly turning into a favorite park pastime. The outcome of sketches are not wonderful. I tried to draw people that were clear across the park from us at one point and ended up with a tiny scribble of a figure that looked like John Lennon and when I tried to correct it, it just made it look like it was John Lennon as an Egyptian Sphinx (see above). To add insult to injury, I couldn't spell Sphinx.
But some days are like that and I think it is just to keep us guessing and laughing at ourselves. I hope that despite how busy we can get that we all seek and find opportunities to enjoy ourselves enough to keep us enlivened with energy. A little jumpstart of looking at a pretty flower, being an explorer for a day with a loved one, or drawing people who have no idea that you're drawing them doesn't hurt!
Love to all -
