Holiday 2013 is under way... here comes 2014!

So my superhero training is still under way, but of course x-mas happened. I did pretty good. We had Lasagne x-mas eve with Caesar salad. Not on plan but sometimes you need to enjoy a good thing when you can. I have been really unhappy with the transition (back to food) class. I am disappointed the instructor never introduced our group when we joined the group in progress. The class before this one dealt with emotions of why we eat and all of us worked as a team. This class is breaking the personal bonds we made and is more about what kind of food to eat and how much. I guess I need to suck it up and get it done with now. I missed last Thursday and the instructor stopped by where I work on the weekends and reminded me I missed class. Is she breaking my balls or is she really concerned? The class is a real wet blanket now. I recommitted back to my path today. I watched Kick-Asss 2 and realized the hard part is next. Not just eating better but getting more exercise. Later today I will get on the elliptical wheel for a bit and soon bike rides. I got a Baby Taylor Guitar for x-mas that will be fun to take with me wherever I go and keep my hands busy and my brain focused. We missed our nephews but it was fun. Most of the family had me painting things to give the others for the last few months and it was fun seeing the surprised faces when the got their personalized art. I gave a painting I did of my grandparents (who has passed on) laughing and wearing each others shirts to my dad. Hopefully it gave him some good cheer. He just lost his best buddy and is having a tough year. My mom lost her mom this year too. I gave her a sun I painted for myself once to cheer myself up. I hope I did some good this year. I am learning to be a better person. Sharon as usual made us all feel at home and her decorations, cooking and Holiday cheer made it a real good Christmas. I could not have got through this year without her guidance and love. Chet and Coco were good elves too. 2014 is looking to be a good year too. I feel like I am finally on the rebound from a bad depression. We have only just begun to live... (Karen Carpenter?) Watch out for the man and don't take s*it from jive turkeys....

Black Santa

This week the topic seems to be is Santa black or white, brown, pink, etc... I painted a santa card this year. I listen to James Brown's Santa's got a brand new bag cd and Ray Charles Christmas cd most years so maybe for me he is black. I painted a suntanned (California style) Santa. Most folks thought he was black. I can go with that. TV wants you to worry about things that don't matter. Like Miley Cirus. That girl might be a mess. She might be making money for being a mess. Do you care? We do because she is human. We make mistakes. Calling someone fat is now a big deal (on TV). Do we change the word fat on food labels? Bullies are bullies for a reason. Many folks have anger, depression and fear it's all a matter of what you make of these feelings. Depression will kill you fast. Most fat people are not weak they have depression usually. It's good not to teach hate. It's great to teach caring for others. It's o.k. if you feel angry. The important thing is communication. Through therapy I have explored the reasons of my fears and depression. It was like ripping a band aid off a cut. It took a long time to start healing (I think it's healing...) Life is never perfect. As humans we strive for perfection, but our beauty is often in our flaws. I have taken some small steps into getting healthier. Now they are big strides to a better life. I want to embrace this new life. I celebrate this better health rather than the actual pounds lost. Sure I am happier. Not because thin folks except me better... because I physically feel better. Because I am healthier. I may live longer and because of that grew self confidence and I celebrate my new health. I see on TV folks showing faked encouragement for fat people and challenged folks. They seems so uncomfortable showing support for them probably because they truly feel (or have been taught) that different is "Weird" or wrong.  I watched a TV talk show today where this girl had been bullied so much her mom was taking her out of school to home school her. Then the folks at the show gave her toys and a cruise? What about finding her a new school or a college fund? I decided to turn off the TV and blog. Now I am thinking I should ride my bike for a bit. My Santa is all the colors of the rainbow, but don't worry if yours is not. In case you are wondering, my bike is green... and it aint easy being green. Life is funny, so laugh at it. Forgive yourself for farting in the supermarket. Take it easy!

Totes Ma-Goats!

I am ready for the fun to start. Had a small pity party for myself this week. The usual one I give myself at Christmas time. I got this really cool drawing from Emily Jones who is totes ma-goats for making it for me. It is a view down the lane my booth is on at Crafted. It really gave me some go power at Christmas time! I ordered the new plastic made in china bat car to fit my bat figures as a gift to myself for being a good boy this year... did I need new toys? Well no, but I am ready for some fun that's not food related so this is a nice reward. I always wanted a set of bat megos and now I have that and yes, I am going to play with them and maybe forget about the forthcoming zombie apocalypse for a few minutes. Who wants to play? Probably those kids who made my new toys. Am I bad for buying them? I have to make my own toys more in the future and be happy that now and then I can make myself smile all on my own. The one thing about Christmas is you don't know how its going to unravel each year. You miss those who have passed on. You tell those still with you that you love them and need them and you wonder if you did the right things in the past and sometimes you get that warm feeling on a cold day (or sunny day if you are where I usually am this time of year) I am happy this town I am in has not made big changes yet. I hope I am ready for that when we get there. I always think so negative. I pet my dogs and wonder how long I have with them instead of just enjoying that moment of petting them... which I need to get back to now (it's a Holiday priority...) and when Sharon gets home.... hey I need some Mistletoe! She has been good for a long time. Maybe the Grinch will give the teachers a raise this year. Most of my family is elsewhere this year and I will miss them, but we will have our traditional Christmas at home in our humble abode. Get to hugging. Where my dogs at?

Thoughts on blogging my thoughts....

I was going to quit blogging, but I was told it helps with therapy. I admit I do it for therapy and to exercise my writing skills. One day they will make movies from peoples blogs I am sure of it. I get the reward is clearing space in my head when I write things out. I don't know who reads it besides me. The fact is it helps me let things out. Sometimes I think maybe someone will get some benefit from it. I can say what I want. When I started taking steps to a life I wanted I realized I wanted less from computers and electronics and more to talk to people face to face. To make art by hand, eye, pencil, pen or brush. Opening my shop helped me get back to talking to folks in person. We have disconnected so much. So many folks on their phones and computers while their kids grab desperately for their attention and love. Most of the work I do is lost on many. They don't see the care and time it takes to make it. Often I get asked, "do you use computers to make art?" Well, yes, that's how you clean up your ink drawings now and how you advertise you day to day things. I get sick of entering passwords, updating software and apps, and I can't really afford a better computer. My cell phone is the Ford Pinto of the cell phone world, but so what? When I started my diet a few months in I really noticed how much media we buy into. I had to look at the Pizza ads as Trans fat cheese, with even more oil fat plus bread carbs that turn to sugar with all the processing and chemicals added topped with loads of salt. The Nutty candy bar has fattening oily nuts surrounding a loaf of sugar and extra, extra salt. This was the lesson. I have started to guard what I have. What we all have in America... Freedom of Choice. Would you pay more for American made or Organic? Do you care? I may get a new computer one day. I may buy things made in China from time to time. I may even eat Pizza and Candy again, but I will try and make the right choice and exercise my mind away from what I am advertised to do. Hopefully I have learned that I can still connect with real people face to face. I hope I don't make a dungeon of my home and remember to get out and breathe what's left of the clean air we have. You are worthy of a good life Scott... don't waste it. As for fun today I got the new lp on white vinyl "Danger" by The Last and it brought me back to the mid 80's and kept me in the present at the same time. The Last's L.A. Explosion and the Descendent's Milo Goes to College were always great Hermosa Beach/Redondo Beach/Hawthorne classic studies in surf, punk, psych and California Lifestyle just waiting to be crammed together like peanut butter and chocolate. 30 some years later you got this lp. You can hear "walk don't run", Stiff Little Fingers, The Byrds, Beach Boys and all kinds of influence. The Pilmsouls should have made a record this good, but never did. Green Day seems plastic in comparison the the real emotion and feeling expressed within. My buddy Craig's stencils should have been the front cover, but hey, Ray Pettibon will do. Should you buy it? It's your choice, but it is low sodium (I think, anyway).

Today is 11/12/13! So far... a pretty good year.

Celeste (who teaches with Sharon),Peter and daughter Ani stopped by the booth at Crafted again and Ani (being my best collector and client) bought a box I found at goodwill and painted up. It deals with transitioning to the next world (we all have to go some time). The Quote on the top is from a Psychedelic Furs song called "Heaven". It was emotionally tough to make and Ani just lost her grandpa so I am so glad she found it and took it home to be part of her collection. The diet is still going on. I passed my 100 pound weight loss mark a week or so ago and soon I transition back to eating food (that will mean 3 shakes a day and one meal for dinner). Going back to food is the hard part, but I think I am ready for it. I have a good class group and after this next class ends I will go on to the weight management class. I want to go all the way and not look back at were I was before. This is a life change for me. It's hard to keep focused sometimes, but my life is better now. I can walk better. I have more flexibility and mobility. I have much more confidence in myself and I care about myself and my life more. I feel I may have bought some more time. I was pre-diabetic and my knees were starting to go and I was looking at where I was going. It was going to be death or a very rough remaining life. Sharon said she would not be able to push me if I was so heavy in a wheelchair... was that where I was going? I helped my grandmother in her last days at her retirement home. She was stuck in her room all day watching TV and had to be taken care of. When I went to get her meals for her a lady who lived there asked me if I wanted to be her volleyball partner. I was in no shape to play volleyball with this much fitter and much older than me woman. Helping my grandmother was such hard work (physically) it was my first steps to a healthier life. I may not die young after all.... (not if I can prevent it) I have started a Bike riding club called The Streetriding Cheetahs with a blog page here: www.blogger.com/streetridingcheetahs so far my friend Keith (from Kool Corner at Crafted) and I are planning to start riding along Cabrillo Beach. I have not told him about the club yet, but I am sure he will join it. My plan is to ride the Long Beach Marathon this year (20 miles) on the Bike Tour. I hope to get out today on my bike for a bit. I am still taking baby steps to get back to bike riding. I always wear a DOT certified motorcycle helmet (cycling helmets wont cut it. They are just foam coolers.) Helmets ARE cool. I wear good shoes and gloves too. Another big part of getting my life going was getting my mind going. To do that I took guitar lessons for a long as I could. It was not always easy, but I stuck with it. Soon my memory improved. The weekly improvements I made gave my instant confidence. I made sure I had a great teacher too (The great Walter Martinez at Gray School of Music, San Pedro, CA.) He was tough at times, but very caring and supportive. I could not have started this path without the help of my mom Pat and step dad Charlie who gave me the opportunity to take lessons, get my bike, and take the classes I needed. I was afraid to ask for their help before and I am glad I asked now. I am very grateful for this life and to have my family and friends, but before they could help me I had to help myself first. I forgave myself for my past mistakes. I have learned to trust my loved ones more and worry less about what I can not change.

You need good friends...

I went to High School (sometimes) with my friend Mark Waldman. He and I and a small group of others were the Punks at Redondo High. It was the early 80's and hardcore was getting started and we loved it. Mark often had his skateboard, a boom box with a cassette that had Social Unrest on one side and the debut of Suicidal Tendencies on the other and usually a pack of smokes he always shared with me. He was dependable, very loyal and we both were on the Road to Ruin. Years passed and I was headed away from the road I was on. On the way out I saw Mark on a friends couch and wondered if he would ever make it off that road alive. More time went by and I left my once sleepy beach town that had become a yuppie haven for the cozy new home of San Pedro (which now is in danger of becoming a high rent area too.) I worked as an Illustrator for a few companies and met my wife and settled down. I had a few art shows locally now and then and was still part of the punk community (and still am). I did not know Mark had found his way to an art career and had taught art too and after many years my former boss was showing at The Gasoline Gallery with some of the artists I was inspired by, so I went to El Segundo to check it out. I met the owner and guess who it was? Yep, Mark Waldman. Some of our old friends were working for him too. We had both found new paths and were fine tuning our lives. He was about to become a dad (twice) and was now sober as was I. We had talks about getting older and our health. We still had the same bond after all this time. He welcome myself and many others and gave us the opportunity to show at a legit art gallery. It was a blast. He often closed down Main street and lined it with custom cars and motorcycles and all the punks and outsiders you could handle every sunny summer beach city weekend, cranked up the tunes and made sure those who still drank had a cold beer. The party lasted almost 10 years. Many of us found fame and recognition for our art. Mark gave us a soap box to let out our sorrows, but his world in the end was getting out of control, but this time it was just the kind of life troubles that find us now and then. He got the wind knocked out of his sails of a bit, but he held strong and became the great dad he is now. He is dedicated to his two sons Ford and Cole. He had the number 3 tattooed for them to remember that no one can take their bond away. For the last show at Gasoline I had done a real personal painting for the show and did not want to sell it so I put a real high price on it. I left it in Mark's care for a few months. Gasoline had closed and Mark had formed Sweatbox, his new company for his return to art. I had started my own shop too (Aicher's Pop Kustom Shoppe at Crafted, San Pedro, CA) and we both have found that even though the road may change we still have a bond. So I went over to see his new studio space at his home and saw his new Grenade Heart limited editions and it struck and emotional chord. We both could have had heart attacks from our bad health at any given time. This piece really had me thinking of how fragile and great the journey of life is and the power and pain of love. This story is proof that the past will find you. I traded with Mark my emotionally personal painting for one of his hearts and I hope I will never take for granted the things he gave me and helped me live through. Here's to our new paths. Don't let the pin fall out. Find out more about Mark here: http://pinsta.me/sweatboxstudios

Flea Market Halloween Finds!

Old Torrance flea again.... Bought this "Satellite of love" TV then later that day heard the news that Lou Reed had died. Must be a hug from the heavens.

Picked up some old die cast cars (I think mainly from the 80's) Got this huge old plastic supermarket Richard Petty Stock Car for 5 bucks!

Got an old Madballs plastic lunchbox which found a home at my shop as did the plastic figure cup of The Rock.

Went looking for stuff to paint, but left with toys mostly. That's always the way it goes. You find what you weren't looking for every time. We had a good time. Sharon picked up a red bake-a-lite domino bracelet which she was stoked with. Good to get out a walk around for a bit. When I got to work I was sleepy, but happy (then bummed when I heard about Lou, but I did get a nice TV and I painted a memorial tribute bottle to remember the day.) Such a perfect day.