I'm a believer(?)

Maybe it's because we've won two games in a row over two very good teams in the Redskins and the Cowboys. Maybe it's because I've been kicking but on Madden with the Rams. Maybe it's because I just want to, and I've wanted to for so long, but I'm beginning to think the Rams can make some noise this year in the NFL! We've got as much talent on offense as any team in the league in terms of skill players. If we can find a way to give them opportunities to do their thing, who knows?! But in reality we've been bad for a really long time. That Super Bowl victory is an increasingly more distant memory. I'm still here Rams. I haven't jumped ship. Not that I haven't thought about it. But I'm still here.

Anyone else out there find it interesting that when Jim Haslett was the Defensive coordinator our defense stunk? To the point that the head coach got canned... And Haslett (the aforementioned Defensive Coordinator) became the head coach... And now the defense is fixed all of the sudden... Haslett couldn't have planned it any better if he'd wanted to... Just an observation.

Maybe you’ve heard

There are these books about a wizard kid named Harry Potter… I’m not into wizards and spells and pointy purple hats with stars and moons on them, so it took me about 10 years to get over that and give Harry a try. Since people I know and respect have enjoyed these books so much, I finally went for it. And, after reading a couple of the books, YES they are really fun!

The characters and plotlines are so solid that you find yourself really involved and invested in a way that allows you to be okay and even have fun with the magical/mystic world this all takes place in. This surprised me. I didn’t think I could “go with it” like I’ve been able to, and I doubt I’m alone in this. I think it is because the author treats the characters as if they live in our contemporary world. And it helps that the heroes are learning about magic and spells, etc. for the first time as are we.

I’ve always found that the best stories, be they fiction or non-fiction, are those where we find the protagonist in a seemingly impossible situation and we get to read how they manage to come out on top. And what makes this a fun and fast read in my opinion is the way J.K. Rowling (I guess I should mention the author!) allows us to stay just a step ahead of Harry and friends so we can figure things out just before they do.

In the eyes of some, my cool-factor has taken a hit – yes. But its not like I’m memorizing spells or dressing up like a wizard on the weekends. These are well told stories with characters we can all relate to. Good fun.

Jimi

This one goes out to Fritz. I stepped outside my artistic comfort zone to paint this one. One of my largest works since college (about 5' x 5' I think). It's a pretty common image of Jimi, but I thought of all of them out there this one would translate best on this cinder block wall. Kind of sloppy and abstract. It was a lot of fun too. I had Jimi and some other bands from the Monterey Pop Festival playing in surround sound while I did it, and found myself painting to the rythm.

Albert Cassens Elementary School Mascot

I recently had the opportunity to develop the mascot for the new elementary school that my girls will go to. Below are the two concepts that didn't get chosen (as voted on by the students). And above is the mascot they chose; the Albert Cassens Cougars!