Kangog? Dogroo? Kangadoo?

Store bought dog tail hook on one side of the wall...

...and a kangaroo checking you out while you pee!

Hand sculpted Kangaroo by me. He was a birthday present for my friend Andrew.  

Look carefully for the dog tail on the left and the kangaroo front half on the right.

Check out my wheels!

I spent more time with this bike than I did with my friends.

My yellow, Specialized Stumpjumper was too flashy for her own good. Every time I came back to unlock my bike, I was so thankful that I got another day with her. "Aura" went walkabout on July 7th. Over the last year and half, I'd ridden in crazy rain storms, wind, and lovely sunny days, logging 2,700 miles. 

After three weeks of hating the world, and being jealous of every cyclist that I passed because they   still owned their prized possession, I got over myself. The exciting part about having my bike stolen was that I got to buy a new bike! I've never had a new bike before!

Since how I don't own a car, I put in due diligence in shopping around and found this beauty! She's a hybrid, making her lighter than Aura. She's zippy. Oh so sleek. I splurged and bought a waterproof pannier to replace my seven year old back pack.

Before staying at Tassajara, the Zen monastery in the Los Padres National Forest down by Big Sur, I never intentionally enjoyed wearing black. Now it's a comfort color. My new bike is also black. Her name is Tassajara, or Tassa for short.

The first week we spent together we logged 76 miles trecking around Angel Island, Japantown and North Beach in San Francisco, to and from the dojo, out on errands and commuting to work.

I'm completely infatuated. Don't tell my old bike, but this hybrid is a better fit

My past boy friends...

Talking with my 16-year-old cousin, she was shocked that I remembered the name of my first boyfriend.

My first though was, "How old do you think I am? I'm only 28."


Then my mind skipped to a less cynical channel and I replied, "You don't forget those kinds of things."


I was 16 myself, a senior in high school, secretly dating a potential fire fighter named Kyle. He had the body and charm, but not the focus of a fire fighter. After three months he broke up with me. At first he paid me a compliment that I was his longest lasting girl friend. He said I lived too far away, so we had to break up since how I didn't have a license. Or maybe there was another reason. I dunno. Perhaps it was because I didn't mention to my folks that I was dating him, because they only believed in courting. 


I learned my lesson with boyfriend # 2. He had a sit down with my parents who grilled him about his intentions. I can only imagine how nerve wrecking that was for him. I wasn't allowed to be there. He told them he wanted to marry the 17-year-old me. I think he was 20. I did enjoy dating him and we lasted a year. I dumped him when he dropped the ball for my birthday and he didn't do anything to make me feel special.  


So what did I do next? I dated our co-worker. Not intentionally to be mean. The cowboy had caught my eye for some time. He was the youngest certified pastry chef in Colorado. He was a little older than boyfriend #2 and he was a wild card. Casey lived for getting reactions out of people. He had a mohawk that he didn't spike, but instead put up into crazy pigtails. His favorite drink was from a 1/2 empty can of mountain dew half full of parrot bay.


He was my first love, which figures that he cheated on me and even proposed to the girl while we were still dating. I found out when I called and offered to help her move across town. She bit my head off and she wanted to know why I was calling because she was going to marry my boyfriend just one month later. I guess he hadn't told her that we were still together. I hung up and started sobbing. She called back. My mom chewed her out. Thank you mom. 


Next I dated a very sweet guy, who drove the truck that I wanted, a green Ford F350. Instead of getting myself a truck I bought a '93 Subaru Legacy that I couldn't drive because it was a manual. After reading an article in the encyclopedia on how the clutch works, Everett and I would take turns practicing driving my car behind Safeway. A month later my car died. I abandoned it on the side of the road. That's when I decided to move to California for art school.


Fast forward to freshman year at college #2, where I dated a guy who I chronically forget his last name. (At least I know his first name.) That's how serious we were. I remember his roommate's full name. So needless to say that didn't last. 


Then I was blessed with dating a guy who treated me great and I loved him. Win-win. Ian and I were together all through college and post college, totaling seven years. He helped me to not take life so seriously and to start recycling. His dad diagnosed my food allergies. I'm so lucky to have met Ian and his family. 

Now I'm in a 1 1/2 year drought (as some may call it), being boyfriend-less. Honestly, I've been too preoccupied to focus on someone else. In that time I've moved out on my own and learned how to support myself. I'm blessed with wonderful friends. I enjoy my jobs. I'm blessed. I'm excited to see where life takes me next. I'm ready to love someone. Bring it.  

Books to read next

I've only skimmed the book and already I am open to listening to it even though it sounds a little out there. According to Dr. D'Adamo, Type A blood types, (like myself) have a hard time digesting wheat, dairy and meats. I have food allergies to the first two and I rarely crave meat so I don't prepare it very often. I look forward to reading about the science behind this, testing this out and looking at the suggested types of exercise that helps Type A reduce stress. 

Ever since I was a kid, my mom has talked about this book- now it's time to read it! There are five love languages: gift giving, special time, physical touch, words of affirmation and acts of service.

It would be helpful for me know why I feel loved or irritated when friends do nice things for me. And I'd like to be aware of these ways of communicating affection, so I can be a better friend.

Take this quiz to help identify your love languages.

Redneck wine glasses

This is my artistic en devour for the month- a Redneck wine glass. 


I'd like to thank Hallmark for the idea. Goodwill hooked me up with $1 candle stick holders. Thank you mom for the canning jars and glue. 

I thought it was fitting to drink carrot juice from my fancy goblet.

How to Drill Tile

After scrounging around for how-tos on drilling holes into glass, I appreciate a well written, easy to follow tutorial on drilling holes. I learned several things from this article, like using a plastic template to keep the drill bit from traveling.

Drilling holes in hard porcelain tiles with diamond drill bits holesaws granite and marble

January H.I.T.S.

On the first of every month, I post the Happening in the Studio (H.I.T.S.).
I share my trials, triumphs, and behind the scenes of working as a visual artist.

I was commissioned by a law firm to give a makeover to the above filing cabinet. Originally it was beige with patches of primer from the previous owner. I gave it new life by introducing color and texture! 

This month was very full, but that's it for making art. I'll see you on the first of the next month for another post on Happening In The Studio (H.I.T.S.).

H.I.T.S. Table of Contents