21 Dec 2005 ... No Pre-christmas Chaos

Happy Solstice!

It's the longest night-time for us, up here in the North... and this is the farthest north I've ever lived in the U.S. Let's see, Sunrise is at 7:45am and Sunset is at 4:37pm which means less than 9hrs of sunlight today.

My recipe for a stress-free holiday...

• no kids
• no close-by relatives
• quit job for the month of December
• online shopping
• gift cards
• pack luggage days before having to leave
• companion critters all taken care of

Not having a job this month is the best decision I've ever made! There has been no procrastination about anything I have to do. Every last thing has been taken care of and the only thing I have left to worry about is the actual traveling. And I always worry myself practically to tears about traveling, anyway, so I am way ahead of the game at this point!!

The only thing that was a potential problem was Significant Other's bulky gifts. I told him repeatedly that his junk was not going to fit into the luggage we are allowed on the plane (2 bags and 1 carry-on, per person): he did not believe me.

I got him to pack last night, and it's all going to fit. He's filled both of his bags, and has a huge carry-on... and, his stuff is taking up about 90% of the room in _my_ big duffle bag. But it fits. And we'll have plenty of room for presents on the return trip! :)

I am doing well with my drawing challenge: three sheets of sketches a day, and this is my third week!

I usually draw things around the house, and I try to be "representative of the times." For instance, when Fiasco died, I drew his poor computer innards. And when I spent too much time in front of the TV, I drew stuff on the entertainment center.

This week I am switching things about, and I am practicing my calligraphy on a couple of my sheets. It takes a lot longer, I can usually sketch a sheet in ten minutes or less, but to draw straight lines and carefully draw letters with my calligraphy marker, it takes about 30 minutes to fill up a sheet.

And my attitude is completely opposite... With drawing, it's a pain to find something I want to draw and I have to force myself to sit down. But in the end, I'm usually pretty happy with my drawings.

With calligraphy practice, I look forward to finding a quote to write and I don't even mind drawing the stupid guide lines, and while I'm writing, I'm totally absorbed. But in the end, I am not very happy with my calligraphy.

So, yeah, I need a lot of practice! And I think I need to get some more books of quotes, or print out a few pages of the quotes I have on my web site. It's really much easier to write fancy if you are looking at a copy of what you are writing... less spelling mistakes occur!

okay, that's all for now.

Happy Winter, everyone! Have Fun and Stay Safe!