Reverend Screaming Rat Bastard

And I can't wait!!

My bonsai took another big hit this winter. Lost two elms, but I have more elms in training. My ficus' did okay this winter in a heated garage, however, they also stressed out a lot and dropped a lot of their leaves..as stressed out ficus' tend to do. I did also lose my grape bonsai and a couple of other smaller ficus trees as well. So today I took the clippers to my biggest ficus and pruned it back drastically, or what some tree specialists call a "blind reduction". This is when you cut branches back to the trunk. Of course I didn't cut it back that far..but it sure looks like it.  I also defoliated most of this tree as well. The idea here is to promote vigorous growth in leaf, branch and root formation. At least my one and only pine tree is surviving well. Knock wood!

I had to do small repairs to my drip system for my bonsais because I found bite marks and tears made by our new Corgi pup, Angus. He loves to chew and thus took it out my drip system hoses that were down at his level.  I also have to break down and repair my lawn irrigation system. The main manifold of the system had a burst in the copper piping two winters ago because I forgot to purge the system before the cold temps kicked in. Thus,  the copper pipe froze and burst. I did make a cheezy repair to it last year utilizing plastic hose and worm clamps, but the water pressure was too much for the clamps and the plastic hose so it popped off one night and I got up to a flooded area in my back yard. So now I have to go to Home Depot or where ever and get a Bernz-A-Matic kit and the proper copper fitting and repair it right. I've never done this kind of repair before, but between my friends, the Internet and those DIY shows, I think I can pull off the repair without a hitch. I also have to get new sprinkler heads to replace the snapped off ones by my hitting them and beheading them with the lawn mower.

I've also been doing a lot of weed and grass killing...but mostly weeds. I have a 2 gallon sprayer that use with weed killer so's I can resort to chemical warfare to combat the damn weeds. My neighbor  who is a Vietnam War vet jokingly said that he might know a place where to get some Agent Orange to  combat those pesky weeds..but good!! ..and every thing else that's green as well!!

We may have to break down and buy a new swamp cooler since the one we have here is kinda' rusted out on the some of the grills. But I may be able to bandage it and limp it along for another season. At least the water pan's in good condition and free of rust.

My wife and I joined a bowling league with another couple. My average runs around 118 to 125. Though the last two Sundays I didn't do so well because of my right wrist. (barely hitting 100) You see, it donned on me that I broke my wrist 35 years ago when I was 10.  So over the years it would hurt a little here and there but nothing major. 35 years later,  tendonitis and arthritis settle in and now my wrist kills me..and especially after bowling. So I have to grease it up, rub it down, heat it up, stretch it, etc., before game play. Tonight I had a good 3 games!!  I bowled a 185 in the first game...and that's without my handicap!! Of course on the last game of the night and at the 7th frame, I got a cramp in my leg and that put a downer on my lane approach. So my last game was 125 which isn't too bad. And if I remember correctly, my 2nd game tonight was 108...hmmm...

Well'p..I gotta hit the sack.

Merry Memorial Day!!

My wife and I got back from California last Saturday. Dad's memorial went off without a hitch. A lot of my dad's friends showed up. First the Air Force color guard did their flag folding for my dad's flag, and handed it to my mom with a few words, which is how my mom (and dad) wanted it.  My Mom, technically being a minister, procided (sp?) over the memorial service. My mom's a strong woman and since she knew my dad the best, headed up the service. She gave her ulegy, and let others who wanted to say a few words to come on up. A few did which pleased me, and choked me up at the same time. My folks neighbor across the street was also an Air Force veteran, and after he said his few words, saluted my dad's flag which I was holding by then...and I almost lost it.

A simple salute...

(BTW..I won't say my folks neighbors'  and friends' names because I want to protect their privacy and anonymity.)

Here's the blurb in the Riverside County Press-Enterprise
about my dad's death. They misspelled his name.


Here's the obituary..


And here's a photo of him taken in North Carolina near his brother's
(my uncle Russell's) place last year.


I'm gonna miss you Dad...

It's been almost a week now.  I'm still in Riverside staying with my mom. Colleen had to get back to our Colorado home to take care of business and to attend to our dogs after picking them up from the in-laws who watched them while we were here in California.

We're taking it hour by hour, day by day. I'm doing okay with a few crying jags here and there...but that's tapering off. I know I'll have a few more throughout the year  or so.  Something which will remind me of dad will probably set me off, and that will undoubtedly happen too. We all grieve in our own special way. Through the years I hope that my memories of dad will be happy ones (hilarious ones) and less on his death.

Right now, I worry about my mother and how she'll handle this for the rest of her life. My brother and his wife live out here in Riverside, so they will be checking in on mom almost every day. Mom is retired, so she will be home a lot. I haven't been back to Riverside for almost 4 years, and this has opened my eyes that I will need to come back often. I've been out of touch and I can't do that anymore. I've learned that those friends and family you love could quite possibly not be there tomorrow, no matter how far and distant you live from each other.

My dad left a lot of projects now undone, and it'll be my brother and his wife to attend to some of those as need be. My folks were in the process of fixing up the old homestead to eventually sell and then move out Colorado and buy a place to be close to Colleen and I. My mom will now have to rely more my brother and any contractor she hires to do the handy work in fixing the place up.  Also my folks have long since paid for the place so anything they get will be pure equity, and a nice chunk at that. Now with dad gone, Mom will give it a year or so before she decides what it is she really wants to do. For now, she's told me that she wants to learn to live alone, and keep her independence intact. It doesn't make me feel any better, but it is her wish and I must stand by it.

This week, we've had to set up cremation services for my dad's body, and to set up a time and place for his memorial. My dad did say that he wanted his ashes disbursed someplace in Jonesboro, Maine, his place of birth, boyhood home and where he came of age. So we're all planning on a trip back East in fall to do just that. More details as it comes to fruition.

His memorial will be held at the Riverside National Cemetary. Since he is an Air Force veteran, he is entitled to a full service with, yes, a "fallen serviceman" fly-by, 21 gun salute, flag folding and taps. But he stated before that he didn't want that, he just wanted something simple, so we will respect his wishes. And besides, my mother has attended MANY military funerals and all that pomp and circumstance is heart wreching. I know this too attending my grandfather's funeral since he too was a military veteran and there was no dry eye during the whole thing, especially when the lone bugler on the hill blowing taps.

However, they will do the flag folding because I wanted the flag as the oldest son. God, I don't know how I'm going to handle that....

Here's some info for his services if there's anyone close-by:

Where?
Riverside National Cemetary
Van Buren Blvd. and Interstate 215 ajacent to March AFB.
When?
10:16am sharp (That's military for ya..)
Location?
Station 7

So there you go.

Stay tuned..

This is probably my most difficult entry here to date.

Sunday morning, March 16, 2008, my pop was walking to his usual coffee clach with his bunch of cronies at a local McDonald's. He was mostly a healthy man at the age of 74 and liked to take his long sabaticles by taking one of his long walks in the morning  Being as deaf as he was and probably looking down at his feet, he proceded across one of Riverside's busiest streets, and didn't look side to side.  Crossing the street in a "no walking" zone, he was struck by an SUV and was killed instantly. The SUV and it's driver was not at fault since my dad couldn't hear the horn and didn't look both ways. I know this since the driver and his family were all devistated and that they had small children who also witnessed this. We're not blaming anyone, it was just a freak accident.

My wife and I get the word in Colorado 4 hours later. My mom and brother were at the hospital with my dad's body and to talk to the local authorities and coroner . My mom called, talked to Colleen and all she and I could do was cry and sob, etc.  Thus we take a flight back to Riverside so's we can be with our family to grieve and console. 

It's about 24 hours later since we got here and we're calming down, but this, the grieving will probably go on for much of the year. Adding to it, my dad was retired (retired military as well) and leaves behind life insurance policies, etc. So we have a lot of stuff to take care of.

My dad will be cremated and his ashes will be taken to his birth home in Joneboro, Maine.

This is all I write for now.  I don't know how else to gather my thoughts at this time.

Well'p our new pup came home this Saturday!! 

Angus Augustus Norton is now officially part of the family..though two of our older dogs would rather not have to deal with this small bundle of fuzzy energy.  It's funny to watch him run down our cranky chihuahua Rambeau and jump on him trying to get him to play only to watch Rambeau run away growling and snipping. Our big dog Lemon will grouch at him when puppy comes to close to Lemon's toys.  However, our other dog Beez'Lee will play a little with him and will sometimes "momma" him if she feels like it.  I wish Kee-Wee was around cuz she liked the babies and was a highly nurturing momma dog towards them.

BTW...just to remind you if you forgot..he's a corgi. Jes' sayin'..







We're in the process of taping his ears so's they start standing up. It's a painless process...though can be quite bothersome to a puppy who only wants take off these irritating  thing-a-ma-jigs on his ears. But this coming Saturday we'll take them off and cross our fingers that his ears will give us the results we want...otherwise, I'm not going to worry too much about it.

Hmm..we haven't had a puppy since 1995..and that was Lemon! All I have to say is...puppy teeth, still sharp and pointy!!

Other stuff..

I'm still working on the comic. I haven't left it. However, I haven't done a comic book or series in a while and it seems I forgot to do one thing...stock up on art supplies, such as inking pens. I'm out and I haven't gotten over to an art supply store yet..so hopefully this weekend, I'll make a trek to Arron Bros.

Any hoo...here's a sampling of the comic:



I hope to have the first installment done by the end of the month.

TTFN!!

UPDATE: The tape has come off puppy's ears and they are now standing up! Yay!! It actually worked!!

Dave Stevens, creator of the Rocketeer passed away March 10, 2008 from complications of leukemia. I just got word off of Steve Addlesee's Yahoo group. It is a sad day for all who've ever written, drawn, read, or published comic books.  I have a Betty Page print of his that that he personally signed to me..now I just hope I can find it since I haven't seen it since our move from Riverside. :-(

Remember when I mentioned that my wife and I are getting a new doggie? And a Welsh Pembroke Corgi at that? Well here's a pic of the little ball of fluff..!! We've been going over what to name it for at least two months.. even before it was born. And so we finally settled on Angus Augustus Norton. Yes, we don't have kids..and we live vicariously through our dogs...who, by the way, are all spoiled rotten. I think I mentioned that too. Enough of my gibbering, here's a pic:


Fuggin' adorable huh? I think so.

And here's a pic of his brother zonked out on my niece's lap:


I'm tossing my biscuits as I type this!! Ha! Ha!

Right now they're 5 weeks old, so they can't leave the mother at this time. BTW..The sire and the dam are both beautiful animals. Here's a link to the sire: TANK! A DAMN FINE ANIMAL I MUST SAY!! YES, I"M BEING ANIMATED..SHUT UP!! CLICK ON IT!!

And here's a link to the dam, PUNKIN!! CUTE DOGGIE!! ARF!

The last puppies we've had were our Shepard/Healer mix/ball junkie, Lemon-Lime, and perhaps our nervous/shaky-pissy/bitey Chihuahua, Rambeau. I only wish our other "late" chihuahua Kee-Wee was alive today to meet our new pup cuz she loved the babies, and would probably mother them all. I still miss her.

More later..

This is to inform those of you who do use and like my stuff that my contract with CILM  will be terminated effective March 31st. This may mean that my stuff can be gotten (perhaps discounted) until my time expires. Who knows at this point, and I don't want to speculate. My thanks goes out to those who have purchased my art through them. My thanks also goes out to Anthony and the fine folks at CILM for the oppurtunity to bring my art to a new venue.

Until then...

-DLNorton


To all PSP users and groups:

This means for now, that I will not be giving permission to use my stuff freely until further notice. Right now I have to take account of what I have and what I will allow to be used. Until then, just assume that I have not given permission.

I apologize at this time.

Against my better judgement... I'm ...uh, getting back to doing a comic series again.

I'm starting slow nothing that'll kill my brain cells or have me run screaming into the night from fear and anxiety.

I'm collaborating with mauser ..mainly because he's been kicking me in the ass off and on for the last 4 (or so) years to do something...and I think he's finally stumble on to something I can get on board with. However, I'm going to take it easy and not rush anything..well not much anyways.

I won't go into details as to what it will be, but he and I know what it will pertain, and I don't want to spoil it.

So there ya go.

Here's a rough teaser sketch:

That's all I have to say..

Hey..ever hear some guy at a music store jerkin' around with the electric guitars and shit? Sounds like sheer crap doesn't it..? Well..you take a popular rocker video (Slash..btw)...and dub in this crappy music and add a few other crappy musical type sounds of a REEEEEEAALLY bad wanna-be garage band...and you have this...

There's also a Santana one done by this guy...sheer comedy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNoZg9kl-zE

I have an electric guitar that I tinker with on my own...so this is especially hilarious for me...since I'm not all that great on the ol' axe to begin with...

I needed this very much since there's some crap going down that has got me and my wife on edge....

...more later..

Resolutions. I didn't make any last year...and I probably won't be making any this year.

---

Get my stitches out tomorrow. I'd pull them out myself but I don't want to deny a medical assistant their job...even though it's a work comp deal.

---

I want more vacation. The door plant are real scrooges when it comes to doling out any vacation...and I don't mean a day off here and there.

---

Art. I didn't do as much as I'd like in 2007..or 2006 for that matter. I guess the gumption's not there anymore. I have plenty of ideas and it doesn't feel like a "block"...it's definitely not a block. I just don't want to draw anymore....but I have to keep going...

---

We're getting a new dog soon. I held off for a long time after Kee-Wee's passing, but after almost a year, Colleen and I decided to get another dog. We're getting a Pembroke Corgi. It hasn't been born yet, but it will be soon. More details later.

---

Mom and Dad came to visit (from Riverside, CA) over the Xmas holiday. They really liked the snow we had, and it snowed all day on the 25th. 8 inches even. They're still on track to moving out here sometime this year. They'll be putting the house in Riverside on the market soon. Perhaps this month, perhaps next month. Anyone need to buy a house in Riverside, California anytime soon?

---

I started an account on IMVU.com. It's one of those fancy 3D avatar chats. Interesting. I good number of freaks hangout in the chat areas. Look for "DeTHMoNK".

---

What will 2008 hold for me and my family? I have no idea, and I don't want to speculate. But I hope it'll be a little better.

..In A Perfect World..

But in this case, they do. Thursday night at work, I cut myself...again. But this time I needed stitches. Three of them to be exact. I thought I could butterfly it, but nope..too deep.  I was working on a door and somehow managed to crack one of the moulding pieces holding in the glass with the pneumatic nailer. So I had pry out the bad piece with my modified (and quite sharp) putty knife. We hone these putty knives down to the point of making veritable shanks out of these things. This way, we can scrape off the dried glue. But I was using my shortened and very sharp putty knife to pry out this cracked piece of moulding and my putty knife slipped and gouged the webbing of my left hand between the index finger and thumb.  I called over our supervisor, Rudy and he helped me over to the first aid station to stop the bleeding. Again, I thought I could apply a butterfly bandage, but it wasn't working, so I applied a pressure bandage to stem the gushing red stuff and then Rudy and I headed off to the hospital. It was after hours (9pm) so the usual workers comp medical clinic was closed, so we had to go to this hospital.

Well'p..to make a long story short,  3 1/2 hours later, I have three stitches and a bandaged up hand. Since it happened at work, workers comp will take care of the billing. Oh..I also got a Tetanus shot out of the deal and later at the workers' comp clinic (which was opened today to follow-up), a urine test. Why? Because if you're claiming workers' comp, they want to make sure that drugs weren't involved which could drastically reduce your claim.

My hand is a little achy, but not bad.

Oh..here's some nifty pics taken with my celphone camera. I apologize for the quality, but that celcam takes some halfway decent close-ups.

Before the stitches. Notice my quick and dirty pressure bandage job.
Hey, it worked! I'm also in the waiting room. I have no bloody pics..sorry.
But trust me, it bled A LOT!


After, and with a new fluorescent green bandage. I'm now at home here.



And here's bonus pic of the actual stitches. Sorry, this pic was a little fuzzy.


So..MERRY X-MAS EVERYONE!!

Ol' St. Nick's up to his old tricks again...whatta holly jolly fellow!!


Yes..I know.. It's too easy to post embedded media into your blog and not post something worth reading, but then again, no one "really" listens to me anyway....right? Am I right..? Guys? Fellows? Helloooo...?

Josh Quagmire has just released another Wyndi The Jail Bait Witch comic after a decade..it seems. This one has some more artwork of the horny strega by yours truly. Of course these were done around the early to mid 1990's, so it's technically a blast from my artistic past. Plus JQ has some more tales to add as well. So here's the website to purchase (or to lurk..yer choice)::

www.CuteyBunny.com

..Do it in the name of capitalism..!!

---

My Folks are coming in to visit for the holidays. Hopefully we'll have a snowy Xmas for them to enjoy. Did I mention that my folks are moving out here sometime next year? (Did I mention this before?) Yeah...they want to get out of California and retire somewhere near me and Colleen. The house they currently live in, in Riverside, California was bought in 1974 when I was 12, and is totally paid off so what ever they get out of it will be more than enough to buy a decent place out here...and then some. I just hope my mom will be ready for "real" cold winters. My dad should adapt since he was born and raised in Maine..especially during the winters of the last Depression. My mom has lived in the southern reaches of the U.S. for most of her life...except for those times she and dad lived in France just before I was born...and it got cold during those times too. But they've adapted to the temperate Southern California climate for the last 37 years..so we'll see. As it is, I'm still not quite used to temps below zero...let alone, below freezing. Just this week I saw a guy wearing shorts and flip-flops going into a 7-11, and here I am bundled in my winter Carhart jacket, lined jeans, winter socks, a scarf, warm boots and it's around 20 degrees!! I thought I had some tolerance to cold..but not like this guy.

My folks want to find a place in Golden, Colorado, not too far from where I live.

..That a $200.00 bottle of fine red wine is worth the expense...that is if you find a $200.00 bottle wine in your collection of random liquor and wine not knowing that it was worth 200 smackers...every last drop of it...and you didn't have to fork out the bucks for it in the first place.

That's what I had over the last few days, a sip here, a sip there..a guzzle or three.  I had a leftover prime rib from Ted's Steakhouse. Warmed it up along with the green beans and half a baked potato. I was looking for something more than just ice tea to go with it. So I poked around our booze collection and spied a unopened bottle of "The Maiden" from Napa Valley, Vintage 2000. It was kinda' dusty being in the back or our booze cabinet for about 3 years. So I took the cork screw to it, and helped myself to it's red contents. It tasted very good, and complemented my reheated prime rib. I had three wine glasses, half full.  I'm no wine connoisseur unlike my brother-in-law who collects very expensive wines for his private cellar. (which I now know this bottle came from)

I had my dinner around midnight since I'm on a different schedule, and my wife was asleep. Next day (this last Saturday) as I wake up and stumble into the kitchen to get a drink of water, cup of coffee and start my day.  My wife (who's been up for the last 5 hours baking) says, "So, how was the wine?" I say, "Very good!" She then says, "Well I hope so, it was a $200.00 bottle of wine." I double take in my half awake stupor.  "You didn't go for the $20.00 bottle but headed straight for the expensive one did ya?" I looked dumb..but said, "Well..it was worth the price..but I'm sorry.." My wife said not to worry about it..but did guilt me that she was saving for a special occasion. She also went online to find another bottle in that same year and found out that one went for auction at $400.00.

I'm just now swiggin' down the last 6 ounces..and still have to say..this is some fuggin' good wine..!

I know I do...

Especially if you like to shoot up cute Candy Land type characters, this is your game:
CANDY MOUNTAIN MASSACRE

Here's a YouTube sample..


This is an online 1st/3rd person shooter brought to you from [Adultswim.com]. (Made by Mockworld.com)
I like blasting the Hello Kitty/Strawberry Shortcake knock-offs personally.   BTW..This is a web based game, nothing to download unless you don't have the latest version of Shockwave.

Can't wait for Part 2 to come out!!

"TEE HEE! SEE YOU IN HELL!!"

Basically, I'm bored with anime. F*** anime. (Though I still like Lupin the III..so what's up with that?) F*** anime all the same. A lot of kids out there now-a-days are plotzing over crappy anime that's being shown on [Adultswim]. Vampires? Who the fuck cares, give me Nathan Explosion!!

But where was I? Oh yeah..Futurama..!! The new DVD..!!

I'm going to boil this down to a fine stew since I don't want to go into detail and spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie.

Up front, it's Futurama..and I'm ecstatic!! I'm also all over Bender..cause he's a funny guy, someone I wouldn't mind hanging out with and buying drinks for. He also stands above me on my old (but faithful) computer monitor. I'd also be all over Leela..but that would get kind of sad..and pathetic. She's a cartoon, therefore, not real...two dimensional.

Bender's Big Score starts with the whole Planet Express crew being fired from the bigger delivery conglomerate, the BOX Network...you figure out the play on words, etc. But after BOX fires the execs that made the decision to oust all PE employees, some bigger wigs fire and execute the BOX execs..and thus reinstate PE back into its daily routine. Look..here's a Wiki about BENDER'S BIG SCORE..so I won't have to go into any detail and make my brain hurt trying to come up with a decent review. I'm a lazy f***..so who cares.

I feel that this Futurama go around was hastily put out there because fans were screaming for it, so they didn't put as much thought into it, they wanted to please the fans. I've seen more feeling and emotion put into later episodes in a half hour than I saw in this 90 minute feature. But I'm hoping the next go-arounds will be a little more substantial than just crazy pablum. But nonetheless, it's Futurama and that well was dry for almost 5 years. Simpson's aside, Futurama is STILL Matt Groening's (And David X. Cohen's) best effort to date.

Now I just wish Seth McFarland would do something totally original besides Family Guy and American Dad. I love those shows, but I feel S.M. still isn't on top of his game...........??