The week was the last in July & I just happened to be clothes shopping with one of the twins. Stood around waiting for him to pick up holiday bits, I started looking at designs on tees.
It’s been so long really, since I drew on a regular basis, but finishing the Picturebook had me ready to do more. Not quite ready to bare my soul in my own stories, but I figured getting some basic design work might be the best way forward. & what better way than to think about some t-shirt designs, right? They were always fun!!
I mean, am I completely off base here that I can’t see why anyone would pay £10-20 on this sort of stuff? It doesn’t feel like someone has spent any time on the thought for these. Forgive me if I’m wrong here, but usually, it’s a good, well known slogan used. I think this is the first time I’ve ever read that “nothing beats a good carbonara”.
So here comes the bit where I let myself get torn apart, since I’ve just bad mouthed other designs. Though I get the feeling no actual Designers were used previously. More so some Executive thought they’d save some cash & ask ChatGPT what would be “cool”.
My first foray in design work would be for the team I Coach. Something basic for the players to use, & for us to use on the socials.
Yes, I see flaws, but as a first time back in a long time, I’m ok with it. I’m learning to embrace my limitations.
“Oh my days!!”
Yeah, no one will understand that quote (proof I do this just for me). The long summer of deciding where to play football this year ended with the boy staying in Wales, then missing the first 3 competitive games due to injury/a Wedding/holiday, but he did manage a goal in a friendly.
But the joy turned to one of disappointment when his Captain & big brother from Aber, promptly signed with Telford Town. He’d learned a lot from Dish & I think had been looking forward to spending another year gaining valuable experience & hopefully playing time alongside him, until things fell apart. I won’t write down Tys reply when I let him know that Desean was signing.
Saying his vows
I think we all get proud of our kids (most of them), & I can’t help but feel old seeing them all grown & dressed all fancy.
Thankfully, he’s still a little young to be thinking about Marriage.
Whilst the cats away
I took the week off work at the end of July/beginning of August. The football child was away with his girlfriend so it meant the rest of us could have a week off football & generally just relax.
We spent a day in our old haunt by the sea. I don’t know about anyone else, but I always feel like fish & chips just hits different at the seaside.
The art fairies were as always, out in force.
There was this wonderful shop selling what I’m guessing were 3D models, but were very cool.
A quick stop for a pint also had us looking at art in the Pier.
& obviously, the pièce de résistance…
Meanwhile, Bo has questions over my mental state…
Revenge of the cancelled?
This particular week, I read a little bit, both digitally & physically.
Jason Latour (along with his partner, the other Jason) produced one of my favourite books, Southern Bastards, before misconduct allegations put his career on the back burner. I’m not going to get into those right now.
He still produces some beautiful artwork & strips on his Substack, & recently put out a short story called Revenge at Last. As always, his art is scratchy & polished, loose yet so finished, all at the same time. The story is a little trippy & supernatural. I would definitely pick up a book on this, even though I’m not certain I have a clue what is going on.
Over on the printed page I started reading a book from Whatnot Publishing from 2022. I’m no assuming this publisher is the same one that now sells all manner of stuff on an app of the same name?
Anyway, Quested 1, from Writers Michael Calero & Thomas Parson, & Artist Kit Wallis, looked to be a lot of fun. It’s clearly a mix of Legend of Zelda meets I Hate Fairyland & I’m assuming the Writers are big gaming fans (the computer sort as opposed to hunting).
The art was pretty good, very cartoony, so as long as you’re into that, I think people would enjoy Kits work. Once I got past the obvious homage in the story, I quite liked the idea. Our main characters are (mini spoiler here) basically con artists, looking for one final job. But this one goes wrong.
my only gripe, & I know this is one I’ve had many a time, is the pacing. Too many stories jump from A to M so quickly & seem to forget the 11 letters in between. I know I like a decompressed storyline, but I can appreciate one that’s moved a little quicker. But when it seems to miss scenes, I struggle a little.
However, as I’m just now getting to a 4 year old book that I’m pretty certain I have both series of, I will continue reading it as I have picked up the books.
What is the charge? Eating a meal?
Dentists went Private around my 18th Birthday (I promise I lm not going to rant). At that stage in life I think I was earning about £500 a month & was still at college. But my Dentist went full Private & wanted about £30 a month.
Imagine being an 18 year old, still in education & being told by your Dentists that they now wanted £300 a year to look after your teeth. Other than a few fillings, I had lovely teeth. I didn’t see a Dentist (I’ve said the word so many times I’m expecting one to come out of the shadows) for about 10 years.
Then one night I was eating a Chinese meal…one might say it was a succulent Chinese meal, when one of my teeth cracked in two. It wasn’t anything hard, rice, chips, probably chicken balls, & there was a huge cracking sound. Other than not seeing a Dentist, I’d kept my teeth looked after. I was the healthiest I’d ever been, yet I was now several hundred pounds down after emergency surgery on it.
It turns out both my Mum & her Dad suffered from bad teeth.
Many years later & more lost teeth, & one of my fillings dropped out, causing more cracking on a tooth, exposed nerves more needles.
After the second needle (why do Dentists needles have to be a metre long??) I could still feel the drill on my tooth. “We’ll have to do another deeper needle” was met with my response of, “just carry on, I’ll deal with the pain”…
At this stage in life, it feels like one long pain…
P