Day #17

Some kid waved his hand in front of my face as I was waiting for the elevator today. Turned out that he was in a workshop I ran for his class. It didn't freak me out nor was it awkward, but I still wish my job would let me be less visible.

Still trying to figure out henna tattoo motifs and designs.

Day #16

What a lovely night with the kitties! Christopher was already waiting for me at the park and jogged briskly over as soon as he spotted me. Poor little dude, he must be hungry. Sam and Obie were up to their usual antics — lotsa chasing and prancing around. On my way home, Fernando (who could've been the inspiration for Bustopher Jones) was lounging by the kerb, a couple doors down from his home. He actually ran to me. (Well, ran as quickly and well as a really fat cat could ...) Poor Fernando, he must be so lonely after Muumuu died. He was so affectionate tonight when he is usually quite shy and scaredy.

So I spent more time with the kitties than I did effort with this pattern. If it could even be called a pattern ...

I was looking at henna tattoo designs but I couldn't seem to master the motifs.

Day #15

And, quite suddenly, I don't seem to be on downtime anymore. I can't figure it out — what brings about downtime and what did exactly did I do (or not do) to make the downtime fade away?

Anyway. This one's A5 and it took quite awhile I must say. Only because I kept getting stumped as to what other patterns I could put in.

The manager presented the proposed blueprints for the renovations. Note to self: You gotta fucking leave before the renovation commences.

Anywhere but here.

Day #14

Terms & Conditions is great. It's funny and yet has lines that have such gravitas (to me, at least) and, at times, even quite perfectly describe the ... insides. Like:

... it transpired that my happiness was nitroglycerin. Clear and stable as long as everything was utterly calm. But shake it just a bit — and it exploded.

Anyway. Another quote tonight which I thought was both discomfitingly hilarious and miserably true:

Day #13

Tonight, I sacrificed the kitties (as in not going into the park and be That Crazy Cat Lady^TM). Cuz I felt I wanted — needed — to do this:

And it continues: "If you only feed it solitude and fear, one day it will give up on you." (From my next Read of the Month, Terms & Conditions by Robert Glancy, which I started reading today.)

Day #12

I woke remembering the last vestiges of a dream in which I was trying to get to Berhampore (Wellington, not Bengal) in a horrid lightning storm (it was raining and thundering this dawn). Strange. Wonder what brought that on? I've no connection to Berhampore — except, maybe, vaguely (Shirley now lives there).

Anyway. I think the Kuching trip is on. I was looking forward to it ... until anxiety kicked in. Sigh.

Day #11

Yeah, patterns ... instead I did what I've been thinking of trying out for the past week — see what I could do with hand-writing something for Hazel's cutting.

So: Shakespeare, Rumi, and Blake — all appropriate (if pedestrian) for weddings, I guess?

Hand-writing is really not something I do well at all, and I was never into calligraphy. Jess does it so well though ...

Sigh. Wish I had a clearer and executable plan for that cutting.

Day #10

I nodded off not long after dinner last night — completely knackered. Man, it was only a three-day work week but it was a fucking long one. I think I'm nearly back in the same emotional, physical, and psychological state as I was when I worked in the viper pit. Yes, it's actually very nearly that time.

Or maybe I just need a break?

Two today. Bought a new marker and tested it. Ugh. It bleeds like a Sharpie.

Read of the month: The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde.

Day #9

Just a small one tonight. Started off okay but finished terrible.

I bought a black 0.5mm pen today and graph paper because I thought I might want to try letters. Maybe this weekend.

Still sad. Prolly the full moon. Sad and fatigued.

Day #8

Two simple ones tonight:

I'm such a dull, unimaginative dolt. Also can't do circles or curves if my life depended on it.

And it feels like such an unproductive day. I don't understand why things are done/decided the way they are at work. I don't understand the reason(s) behind everything, and I'm not sure I even want to understand. If I did understand, then I'd have internalized shit I shouldn't have. And I have already internalized a lot.

... yes, still sad, still don't know why.

Day #7

A few patterns and a cutting today. I cheated with the cutting and used a pencil and ruler for the border and the grid although the pattern itself I did freehand.

Feeling inexplicably melancholic. I think it came on after yesterday's dinner with a few girls from circus (originally pole). Dinner was nice; the company was nice. I don't understand why I feel how I feel. I just hope I'll feel better after lyra tonight.

And back to work tomorrow. Can't say I'm looking forward to that ...

Day #6

Enrolled myself for the Visual Communication part-time certificate course today!

I think I prefer very stark black and white for the sharp, geometric patterns. I find those patterns fascinating and am still trying to figure out how they 'work', so definitely will be doing more of one on the right and bottom.

Somehow, even though I'd been looking forward to time off work, it always makes me feel slightly guilty to be not at work in the daylight hours. Argh. Fuck that.

Day #5

Dinner plans tonight fell through so I won't be able to give Jen S. the thing I made. Oh well. There would be another occasion, another person ...

But was a relatively productive day, I think. Finished one mini cutting and did a few patterns.

I like that last pattern even if it's nothing original — I think there might be a cutting in that. p>And a bit of an optical illusion-type pattern on a table at a place Geeta and I had coffee yesterday:

Day #4

Didn't managed to get much done today. Starting from last night, this might be a weekend of catch-ups and dinners. Met up with Aileen, Alwyn, and Jen S. since Alwyn is in town. Dinner was pretty decent, but the conversation was better since it was partly reminiscing about our Welly days.

Anyway, because of weekend marketing with Dad and a lunch date with Geeta, I didn't have a lot of time to do patterns or cuttings. So, there's only one pattern which I'd managed to cut and mount (if we do meet up for dinner again tomorrow, I'll give it to Jen as an early birthday pressie).

I think I did think I'd do like maybe five (A3) cuttings this year for five people. So far, I'd done one each for Jen D.'s and Joey's going-away, one for Rach, and one for Emily. Hopefully I'd be able to do the fifth for Hazel's wedding. Most productive year so far!