New Post! A New Computer, And some new Origami

To all my fans, I'm BACK! It has been a while since my last post and that was not very exciting, But to be honest, our computer was fried during a wonderful electrical storm that messed up the local grid for about a day. Not that anything big was effected, just our computer. Would you not know it that the one plug in the house that did not have a surge protector on it ( it is an old-ish house) was the one I was using at the time. Ah well, It was not like I was blogging a lot or had much to talk about anyway. However, we now have a smaller lighter laptop now and hopefully it will provide us with some enjoyment for a little while. So you may be asking what has happened for the past several weeks? Well, Besides the number of New anime that we have been watching ( reviews to come later) I have been working on some Origami with a new paper. Well, Sort-of paper...It's called Tyvek. And it is a very strong plastic that behaves like paper in certain ways. That is to say that it creases well and can be folded similar to various papers I have tried. The BEST part is that it is very VERY tough! This allows me to manipulate it over and over again into odd shapes without it breaking or tearing! It also has some flaws similar to paper in that it wants to lose its shape over time and it rather thick. To test out the limits, I usually try an animal that requires multiple folds. I tried a scorpion that turned out pretty well given the thickness and multiple layers of paper for each leg. It also requires a lot of glue to keep its shape. A sculpture like this will unfold in a matter of seconds if left alone! So, With a little more creativity, I worked on a basset hound, a lion, and a red eye tree frog. I'm really enjoying working with this material as it opens another dimension to the creatures. I can't wait to post more as I become inspired!

Gantz! Not for the faint at heart.

It's rather an Old-ish Anime, ( 2005 I think) But it is a pretty addicting story line. The manga is still being written and I must read more. ( a have the first three volumes and it's pretty close to the anime) With 300 chapters already out, the anime only takes you to about chapter 100 before it deviates and ends. So....read the manga. In case you don't know the hook. Two students die when they try to save a homeless person from being run over by a train. They then get beamed into a room with several other people who died that day. Inside the room is a large black ball. The ball opens up and sends them out to kill aliens with special weapons and suits. From there the ride gets bumpy... Anyway, this is an "adult theme" manga/anime. So don't watch/read it with kids. Lots of blood, violence and sometimes gratuitous nudity. But the story is soooo addicting. I just have not posted anything in a while, so I thought that I may as well write about the only thing of interest these last couple of weeks. Enjoy it here! Or Watch the Anime Here!

The Magic of Factory Work!

Ok, I'll admit that. over the past several weeks, there has been very little to blog about. Who ever knew that a life of a productive, job holding citizen could be so boring!??! Well, With my shop cat gone and our day to day lives at Civco sucking all the energy out of us, I really have been struggling to find things of interest to mention. Actually, I kind of like the Civco job. It is fun folding the various plastics and medical equipment every day. Cheryl finds it a little more challenging. Not the folding mind you, but the repetition of it all. Good thing it is only temporary! Cheryl says that she has to "save me" because I might actually 'enjoy' working there over time. But I have to admit, working an 8 hour day is exhausting! I can't believe I did it as a younger version of myself. In other news, We have had a flood in the Kitchen of our apartment. Not much of one, but the neighbor called the landlord and complained so we did not have to. Hopefully it will be fixed when we get back. I'm not sure what is going on, but perhaps a pipe broke somewhere in the wall and is causing problems in the lower two apartments.

Civco, Spring, And a Week without the shop cat..

It has been almost a week and a half since Red decided to leave us for the happy mousing grounds in the sky. And we miss him. Cheryl says it is like that radio in the background that is alwasy playing but you really don't notice until one day it is not playing. I miss taking Red for walks out in the yard. And, it is finally warming up a bit here so he would actually enjoy it more. On a brighter note, Cheryl and I got a temporary gig at Civco and it makes the time go by a little bit easier. Civco is a local company that manufactures Medical Equipment. It's actually not so bad. Perhaps a little boring, but quite easy. We work in the clean room folding plastic bags and packaging latex covers for equipment. They make lots of stuff from disposable covers to full blown machines ( they have a machine shop with all the really cool "toys" where they make probes, ultrasound machines, Etc.) Our focus is limited to the clean room, however, so I don't get to play with an industrial lathe or bansdaw. On the downside, it does pretty much kill the day so there is not much time for blogging or checking in to the shops. I guess it is a trade off no matter what. Hopefully I'll get to blog a little more often, but every time I say that, it seems like the gaps get wider and wider between posts. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Farewell, My Dear Red Shop Cat

Tuesday marks a very sad day for us here as our dear Shop cat, Red, died. It happened so fast, we barely had time to rush him to the vet to figure out what was wrong. Sunday, I was playing with him in the yard, And by Tuesday night, he spiraled out of control. We bundled him up in a blanket at 3 am on a cold rainy morning for a trip to the emergency vet, but by the time we arrived, his temperature had dropped severely and the vet gave us the grim prognosis. There was only one option, and after seeing Red's condition plummet over the past 24 hours, I was in agreement.
Over the past 15 years, we have had a total of 6 cats, and for me, Red was one of those cats that was truly unique. I really don't know how to describe him in terms that people would understand. I mean, all of our cats are great in their own way, but with Red, it's like there is something noticeably missing in our lives. He was not just a cat, but a friend...if that makes sense. He would sleep on my shoulders while I painted, climb on my lap while I folded, and steal my milk whenever I would drink coffee. He had to be on me whenever I sat down and would follow me everywhere. He was probably one of the oldy cats I was able to take for walks without him wandering away ( too far anyway). He was handsome, easy going, and well behaved. And he would get along with any cat and most dogs ( at least all the dogs I've ever seen him around) instantly. He was just so likeable to everyone and everything that ever met him. It happened so fast, and even now, I am still stunned by the loss. He had no health issues ( other than chronic bad breath) and was frisky and cuddly just two days prior. Perhaps it is a blessing that he did not linger for two weeks like poor Zulu ( another Awesome cat!) with the vets scrambling to figure out what to do while our bank account dwindles! Anyway, This blog post might be a little sad, but he was a great cat and I'm sure impossible to replace. We still have two cats that are wonderful in their own way, But cats like Red only seem to come around once in a blue moon. I look forward to seeing him again, someday. Because I'm sure that he'll be waiting for me in heaven along with Zulu, Sasha and Orange. Rest in Peace, Red. Your light was very bright and over much too quickly. And I will miss you very, very much....

Our Poor Sick cat

The Shop cat ( Red) Has been feeling a little under the weather the last couple of days. I think he ate something that did not agree with him and he has been lethargic and puky since. I don't like seeing my shop cat feeling bad so it has been bugging me. However, He was fine until two days ago when we changed up his food. I personally think he caught a stomach bug that has been giving him loose stool and nausea. However, he is alert and he does drink water. I'm hoping that this will pass, as the online key was pretty vague on the subject. He is a healthy cat and he has had no contact with any other outside ( strange) cats. Other than the changing of the food, ( which, by the way, was one of the "problems" that could cause these symptoms) He could not contact one of the "major" viruses anyway. So, Until poor Red feels better, I'm going to be holding his paw and trying to get him to drink as much water and he can. ( hydration is the key to beating a cold!) In other news. Remember how I mentioned the Bald Eagles here in Iowa? Until today, I was pretty sure we had at least 3 hovering around our local town. However, that was all blown away today! On our trip to Iowa City, we saw about 50! ( that is right! 50!) Bald Eagles hanging out in the middle of this open corn field. There was NO mistake what they were. I sure wish I knew what they were after in that field, but with no camera and not wanting to walk out into a muddy field, I will most likely never know. It was a sight thought. Perhaps they are migrating north at this time. How I wish we could have had some documentation, because I have only seen pictures of Eagles like this along a river stuffed with spawning Salmon. Hope every one's week is going well. And I'm hoping the Red gets back on his feet real soon! P.S. The Eagle pics are "borrowed" from online. From some people who have better cameras than me...

New March Claymore Chapter is out!

The latest Chapter of the Claymore Manga is out! Read it here! Spoiler : Miria is ALIVE! Go get 'Em Phantom Miria! As Usual, there are more questions than Answers, BUT that is what makes this a great story! The man has a talent for leaving you wanting MORE! Check it out at Animefreak.tv!

Origami Boxes and Tessellation!

Ah the wonders of tessellation! As for Origami, I have been intrigued with it for some time, and finally I have been exploring it a bit. If you don't know what tessellation is, it is a repeating of a geometric shape over and over again. And...a little bit of trivia, there are only three geometric shapes that can form tessellation Triangles, squares and hexagons. Anyway, I flipped through an origami book recently that had a few pointers, so I decided to give it a go. Anyway, I worked on a fish. The fins need a little work, and the paper proved to be rather brittle after the prefolds were done. But I do like what is possible. Other than that I have also been working on some origami boxes for Cheryl’s key fobs. I like the way they have turned out so far. The paper is a heavier cardstock, so you really can't fold it too often, but the box folds are fairly simple. I can't wait for someone to buy one of her fobs so I can sent it in one of the boxes. But that is just the artist in me dreaming. Hope everyone has a great week! And hopefully the freezing rain that has been an issue ere for the last several days, will be done!

When Cats Attack! Good thing I'm not a Meteorologist

Moments after I finished my last blog posting....it snowed! Not much, but enough to make me feel like an idiot! Oh well, it didn't stay long and things are back to where they were. The weather channel has been predicting snow every day this week, but it has not happened except that one day. Anyway, It has been nice enough to let the cats out for a few minutes each day to frolic around the yard. Red loves to climb up those trees and on me! It almost looks like he's attacking me! Hiro on the other hand, likes the warmth of the house. He likes going outside as well, but he never goes very far and doesn't like to stay out in the cold very long. I guess that is a good thing. At least he won't wander off like he used to at the old place. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Happy to Not Be in MIchigan at the Moment

As promised, some pics of the missing snow....Actually these pics are several days old, so there is even less snow in that pile behind the cars. The cats have been very happy to , once again, enjoy the outside. Even thought the ground is a little mushy. I have been watching the weather channel and apparently, all the rain we got the last two days has turned to snow in Michigan! Whew! Happy to not be there at this time! I'm hoping that the snow stays away from here for the remainder of the winter. People have been saying that this weather is "highly unusual" ( the snow they mean) They say that it usually gets cold, but not snowy. They said that last summer was "highly unusually hot" as well. these Iowans and their weather. I'm not sure what to believe...did we move here in an "unusual year" or is the global warming messing with Iowa the most? Either way, I'm happy if there is no more snow. But we shall see...