Some of the subscriptions to fellow artists I’ve had to discontinue.

State of California just gave me a $10,000 plus property tax bill. And they’re talking about illuminating tax protection known as proposition 13 to even screw homeowners out of more money.

So things like Patreon, I’ve had a really cut back and cancel out until such time as my finances are better.

This state sucks.

My real life job has me standing on my feet 90% of the time. I walk around, I observe, and outside of the high arches of my feet, it’s a fairly easy job. And easy job until May 14, 2025.

Let me explain I got out of bed for work that morning,and I had a pain in my leg that was just out of the blue. Now I am in very good health. I exercise and I watch what I eat so I could not imagine it being some kind of blockage in a vein or artery.

But it did not go away. It bothered me all day long, it bothered me in the evening, and worst of all after visiting my 90-year-old mother in an assisted living facility, I could not make it out to my car. Yes, you read that correctly. I had sat for a protracted period of time and the muscles that allow you to stand completely upright, on the left side of my body locked up.

OK now I’m screwed. But I was able to work my way eventually to the car and I got home safely and left a note via the text messaging system to my doctor.

One week later—


Now the front of my left calf is numb all the way down to the inside of the left part of the ankle. The pain is still along the leg and I am miserable.

Conclusion: I have sciatica! Yay, some new goddamn disease I don’t want. No it wasn’t a disease per se but it is related to age, it is usually a normal situation for many people (who have either been injured in some athletic event, or like me are turning 65 years of age).

So how to treat it? Well, the first thing they put me on with steroids in a tablet form, which worked great, but they have you taper it off,of the course, over five days and by day three it (the pain) was back.

Next step, some weird looking named drug that helps make the nerve happy, so to speak, and that works usually, but then sometimes it doesn’t.

So now onto a series of x-rays and physical therapy.

Physical therapy has actually alleviated quite a bit of the discomfort, yay! The x-rays show that the very last spinal vertebrae which they call L5 sitting on top of the very first vertebrae of your tailbone section, which they call S1, have signs of osteoarthritis (good thing I am actually a human primate and not a real Grizzly or I’d have a fractured tail…haha). Anyway it’s that area where the nerve is getting pinched and causing the sciatica. Joy (as much sarcasm as you like here as you like)!!

So… Yeah. Not only am I going to turn 65 in September (send copious imaginary gifts) but I am officially going to be a senior citizen so guess what helps pay for this… Medicare yippee?

So now it’s one pill every eight hours for the nerve, stretching exercises in the morning and in the evening (and midday if I need it), no more long mountain hikes with family until it’s more or less gone (boo) and the next time I go to a con if you see me sitting on a chair, a bench, or lying flat doing something weird that looks like a form of traction on my hip, that’s me! Yes, I will still go to cons, but I’m gonna be picking and choosing my motion throughout my attendance.

So if any young furs straight or not think age is a great thing, well, yes it is. It’s just that sometimes, as Indiana Jones said to Marion, “it’s not the age, it’s the mileage.”

So enjoy the ride towards getting older, just make sure that you have your maintenance bills ready.

About two weeks ago I had an eye exam with a new ophthalmologist (previously one retired).

I knew I was developing cataracts in both eyes, but it seems to be advancing.

So now instead of an exam once every two years it will now be every year. My guess is that I may have to have lens surgery in at most two years.

At least I can still drive and see. But…, I hate getting older!!!

Happy birthday to George Washington!

Have a great New Year’s Day! Party.., but not too hard.

Yep! Thanksgiving… turkey day…, 27 more days until Christmas!

WTF!? 27 days!??

Well let’s see:

Because of the work I do I have this whole week off. Then 2.5 weeks of work with finals in the last three days ( okay if you think I am a student, consider I’m 64😢 years old. Guess again).

Then (and why in heaven it’s THIS long this year) another 2 1/2 weeks off for Xmas vacation! Yikes will it be the scramble to cover content this year; yes most likely.

But, thankfully I have a good job, my house repairs (small as they are for me to get done on my own) are progressing well. Mom (she’s 89) is doing well…, not as mobile as I was hoping for but she’s doing fine. And Gods willing I am looking forward to FC in January.

Ohhh…, I’m trying to grow a beard…, but after 6 days so far it’s just not filling out the way I’d hoped. This might be more like a summer vacation project…, cuz EVERY loved one in my family hates it. Especially mom.


The only reason I’m trying is coworkers coaxing me to do it. Yes… 64 years ago and I still caved to some friendly peer pressure.


Anyway happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Last Sunday on 8 September, I celebrated my 64th birthday. It was also the birthday officially of Star Trek, but that’s another story itself.

I was able to get everything ready for an incredibly great installation of a brand new fence around the backside of the property.

The house I currently reside in was built in 1993, and the fence was literally rotted to pieces. Splitting the cost with my neighbors who share the fence, I was able to get it completely replaced, and I also was able to put in a brand new front gate near the front portion of the house. It really looks nice!

However, in the process of doing all the initial cleanup for the installation, I injured, or I should say re-injured my left foot; I slightly tore the planters tendon on the soul of my left foot. Ouch!!!!

It’ll heal on its own, but I have to wear a splint at night. It’s gonna take some time, but I guess that’s the downfall of getting older.

I just got a news report that former San Francisco Giants baseball player Willie Mays passed away today at the age of 93.

When my dad took me to my very first baseball game, at the legendary Candlestick Park in San Francisco, it was a Giants game, where Willie Mays was playing. That was 1965, I was only five years old, and watching the “Say Hey Kid” got me hooked into baseball.

I never played the sport well; I actually enjoyed as now watching the games more. But it was Willie Mays that got me hooked.

As a fan, I can’t say enough about him; delightful personality great ball player, a true legend.

RIP Willie; the 5 year old kid still inside weeps and will miss you forever.

California has been hit hard by the storms. My power went out around 6 pm yesterday and it’s still out.

My fridge is running on a small generator I use to power my astronomy and astrophotography equipment. It’s not the best option, but when the inside of my fridge was around 50 when I got home, it may save my food.

The biggest problem is what Pacific gas and electric (PG&E) said in a text to my phone, “ Power will be restored… 10:30 pm… WEDNESDAY! “

This is Monday!


While I am very well, aware that they have no control over the weather, they sure as hell should’ve thought ahead and had backup systems in place. They don’t.

And I can guarantee you that when the dust settles, rate payers like me are going to be stuck with a repair bill, because they didn’t prepare an advance for these one in 1 million types of storms.


I’ve made a decision, though I’m going to make an investment in a huge ass generator, have a hooked up to my natural gas line, in case this ever happens again. Because, PG&E sucks.

The day after Christmas the poor (if I understand that tradition of Boxing Day correctly) receive gifts.

My Christmas Eve was like this:

• Not everyone could be together for Christmas Day, so we had a small family gathering on Christmas Eve.

• A few people decided we’d have White Elephant Christmas gifts! Was funny 15 years ago… NOT entertaining now!

So now on Boxing Day I get to order my own Christmas present…, again…, for the fifth year in a row.

I’m slated for Christmas Day dinner next year - it shall NOT be having White Elephant gifts!

I’m constantly around people who sneeze, cough etc. and I’m usually pretty safe against catching something. Well, not this time.

My sinuses went completely ballistic this evening at around 6 PM, and I may have a mild cold. At least it’s far enough ahead of Thanksgiving that it’s not gonna be a problem by the time Thursday arrives.

Just really kind of sucks though.

FC’s theme this 2024 is pixel related…

So I’m going to experiment…, see if I can revisit some of my current, and previous work in a pixel type of art.

I’m thinking oils and palette knife. This might be kind of cool. Like abstract art.

Well I don’t have a room at the Marriott connected to the Con (which was normally my arrangement). However, a room lottery was introduced this year (God in heaven WHY!!???) and by the time it was opened up to first come first served, I was only able to get a hotel reservation… over 4 LONG blocks away.

Having paid for the first time at the Donor level, and planning to do the Art show…

I’m pretty concerned… I’m 63 now, and I’m having trouble with my feet (extremely high arches are my detriment).

I’m going to have to deal with this, naturally, but…. I’ll have to see how this all plays out.

So we can’t stop getting older. We can try and slow things down, but unless you’re some cyborg, or immortal being like “Q” it’s a condition we grow into.

• Started graying (and losing my hair in my 20’s

• Went onto blood pressure medication in my 40’s, and started using bifocals for seeing and reading.

• Lost my ability to father offspring 11 years ago in my early 50’s (FU cancer!!).

• Started developing some arthritis in my left hand 2 years ago… now it’s clicking every time I try to type (at least it’s not really hurting… yet).

• My favorite thing is trying to stay physically active and fit… which I have some good success with! Yay! At least age related man-boobs (yes you young pups & cubs…, it does happen to guys.., sorry! You’ll get yours too one day) have definitely been reduced! And I have been keeping the classic beer gut at bay!!

• Some foods I used to eat now give me acid reflux, or gas (well I guess I can claim I’m a bit jet propelled now 😏).

So why the rambling? Well my 63 (yes I just wrote SIXTY THIRD) birthday is next Friday. Sixty three revolutions around our sun… at 1000 mph, covering an average orbital circumference of 584,335,740 miles every flea bitten year! How did Indiana Jones put it?

“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.”

Yeah I have some mileage. Ohhh my 88 year old mother will say the same… maybe that’s why I’m sort of rambling… in 25 years I could be in the same situation…, and it does scare me a bit.

Then again who knows! Maybe like the characters of the Thurian series of novels I’m destined to live into my 250’s!?

Maybe I’ll have an android body, or have myself cloned,…, or… maybe I am already immortal?

Ahhh well…. I’m just rambling… maybe I just need a long evening with a frisky female 😏

Thank a veteran who served in WWII.

Thank all veterans who served our country, putting their lives on the line for us.

Today is the 79th anniversary of D-Day in the invasion of Normandy. Never forget!!!

God, the heavy rains and the pollen count; pollen is still kicking my butt!

And now, Verizon, that I use exclusively, is being pissy. So pissy that I can barely get any signal!

Anyone remember the Bruce Willis movie RED, and at the end he and John Malkovich yell out “Moldova sucks!”?

Verizon sucks!!

I really wish my guess hadn’t been right!

But all the RAIN (and rain on top of rain) has caused such an enormous explosion of tree, grass, weed, .., you name it POLLEN that I am now having trouble sleeping (BTW as I write this, it’s 3:40 am PDT).

Worst of all the post nasal drip is making me cough, antihistamines don’t work (did I mention that there’s too much pollen?) and I feel if it doesn’t ease up, I’m headed for a sinus infection.

I will give anything right now, just to have eight hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep, without having to try and cough, or blow the pollen out of my nose.

Part of the job I have is reading and researching classical material (mostly science and mathematics related) but occasionally staff gets a chance at summer internships.

I got one!!

In 2019 the same trip was planned, but as we all know the Zombies forced everyone into the shelter in place mode. So I couldn’t go.

Now… game on baby!

This July internship is only a week, but we’re starting with Valley Forge! Then the next week we go to other revolutionary sites and battlefields!

I’m so excited!! A relative on dad’s side was a veteran of the American Revolution, so it’s extra special!

Sketch pads definitely go, but I am going to see about some painting too.., if airline regulations (and itineraries permit).

I've been trying to use my smart phone as a hub...

* It sucks!

I've been calling around for better internet service...

* Needs a standard phone line, or fiber optic.

Best speeds, with unlimited 2 Gig are via a local phone company...

* The fiber optic lines are 2 to 8 months out for installation in my area!


DRAT!!!

Have a new prescription for my 62 year old nearsighted eyes (and yes you read my age right).

The prescription should ease my eye strain, and the frame doesn’t surround the lenses. The lenses are being bolted to the frame temples and nose bridge.

It’s flipping cool!

Best of all is that I chose a transition coat so that they become polarized sunglasses in daylight!

And unlike my last pair (s) …it’s not gonna be over $1000.

Still it was $870 roughly, but my nearsightedness is so bad my focus point without glasses is about 4” from my eyeballs.

Pictures will be posted when the time comes.

I have always had high arches; something I inherited from my moms side of the family. But in the last few years, even with arch supports, walking, has gotten a little bit more painful each year.

The last time I had arch supports made was about four years ago, and I think I’m due for a new pair. You wouldn’t think that plastic-based arch supports would break down, but they do.

Overtime, bones shift, or you become too accustomed to the previous set of arch supports, and the next thing you know your feet are getting sore. Well, that’s where I am right now and I’m hoping to get a new pair. With my job I’m on my feet 90% of the time for work, and it’s really becoming a problem

Frankly, I’m amazed I was able to make it through FC without too much issue.

I wonder how I feel if I had paws? Would I be running into the same situation?

Oh well….

Hey everybody. Some of you who favored my painting in progress may have noticed I removed it.

I just thought since the painting in progress is something that I’m hoping to sell at FC, it might be prudent to just leave it off the posting for the time being; I want people to see it fresh at the art show.

I’ll repost it later – apologies to those who favored it. I hope you understand.

Happy Boxing Day to all my friends in the United Kingdom and its commonwealths.

Now off to the mailbox to get the Christmas gift…, I bought for myself (yes…, sadly soooommmm people forgot to ask me).

*** glares at my 2 brothers

Ah.., the yearly question; what do I want for Christmas?

One thing in particular, is impossible now to provide. I can only dream about it; I can only ponder.

I’ve got books that I bought for myself, I’ve got new gizmos I can use for Astronomy, which I’ve also bought for myself.

This is still gonna be a very odd Christmas since my dad is no longer here, but I’m grateful that my mom is; I’m grateful that I still have my brothers; I am grateful that I still have my niece and nephew; and I’m grateful that I’m still alive and kicking.

To all my friends out there, my acquaintances, here on FA, and anyone who’s actually a real life anthro in hiding… a very Merry Christmas!

Hi all!

I’m looking for a good digital artist tablet (Windows/Apple OS compatible) for a gift.

Any suggestions by brand name are welcome.