josie

My first freelance job with a major company came through today and has me studying traditions of ten major universities at their games and illustrating in a style I enjoy doing. Yeah, it's football, but it's a lot of fun to research and it's one step closer to hockey/sports illustration than I was before. I'm super excited.

Got my brand new paintball mask today in the mail. I look like some kind of shiny, angry wasp with a ponytail in it and it's awesome. Now I just gotta find the time/money/people and go play. Oh, and I get my car back today. Blew my mass air flow sensor somehow and was given a Subaru Outback to drive until it was fixed. Thing's like driving a spaceship. So many knobs and buttons and slushbox transmission. Give me my barebones manual Impreza any day. Not a bad Thursday so far.

Teemu has the shiniest hair. And sparkliest eyes. And funniest voice. Well, crap. I'm in love with him. How can you not love that goofy Finn grin.

Good to know! That wasn't the case last year. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough (holidays, no time, stuff out of stock). Sounds good. I think I'll always be partial to anything Breckenridge myself, but d4rk loved that Fireside Chat brew.

21st Amendment makes great stuff. I couldn't find any in Rochester, but for Christmas last year I had a friend farther west send me a couple packs of their FDR themed beer because d4rk is obsessed with the wheeled wonder. Really good stuff. Something in it would give me migraines though. No idea. Have to admit, the idea of a fruity beer, especially watermelon, turns me off cold.

Oh he is. You should see his vinyl collection.

Yes. The Gogol Bounce. Been through it twice- nearly broke my ankle the first time. Be prepared to get bathed in sweat not your own and crowdsurf against your will. The people watching alone is worth admission price. Easily my favorite band to see live. Glad I dragged you to one, eh D4rk?

haha that's awesome. Maybe we've uncovered the secret lives of goaltenders aka don't quit your day job

Went to a new eye doctor today. His last name is Lehtonen. He's not sure if he's related to Kari or not (his dad came to US from Finland at age 4 and grandfather was in foster care in Finland, so family lines get unclear around there). He's a hockey player and to distract me while he put in eye drops, he told me Newfie jokes. My kinda doc.

bahaha and kitten ###### is the worst. Suffering for love, I guess. Good lord. To think I tell people how great a school it is all the time. I love their open online courses but geez... My uterus is telling me to boycott.

Last night our cat decided to gorge himself. To which he promptly, for 15 minutes straight, puked absolutely everywhere, making no less than (and possibly more than) 11 large piles of half digested stomach contents around the apartment as he ran in fear from his own spewtastic performance. Not counting the barfy cat footprints he tracked everywhere in his mad dash to escape the demons within. D4rk was at work. I'm emetophobic. And I was eating dinner. An hour of cleaning later, life resumed. Pets! Gotta love 'em.

Good luck!!!

Today I learned thanks to a TED talk that orgasms can cure hiccups. Well then.

That's no fun. If you haven't already, I recommend getting a foam roller. Things hurt like hell but I've had significantly less back/shoulder trouble since using one. They help with calves and quads and such too. Neck's a little tough to get to with one, though. Good luck with it all!

Very nice! Got to play last weekend. Always a good time! Have fun!

I had no clue what to expect. It was Brendon Small and the rest of the guys who make the music in front of a big screen that was playing Metalocalypse videos/synced up animations. I was up against the rail and got the bass player's pick/covered in Small's sweat and beer. Was better than I thought it would be.

Oh man have fun! Mastodon is awesome live. Saw them a couple years ago with High on Fire and Dethklok.

Kind of upset I'm missing Rob Zombie at Darien Lake this weekend. But I'll be playing paintball instead so it's ok. Hoping he comes round again later in the year. Last concert was Gogol Bordello last year and I'm getting the itch again...

If it happens, I am very much looking forward to his awesome facial hair.

Dude... congrats! Probably a good way to zen out or listen to a lot of books on tape, too.

Well, it takes grueling persistence, ability to put up with the bad smell, some heart warming loyalty, and a few tear jerking moments.... and then I go to the barn to recover.

Living with d4rksabre since he decided to become an active cyclist has made me get back into the workout game... I do a kickboxing dvd (used to be a blackbelt/teach, so it's good to go through the motions again) and on Saturdays volunteer at a barn where I throw bales of hay around and push wheelbarrows loaded with manure through mud in 90 degree heat. Sweats it all out. Did crossfit bootcamp for awhile but it was just wayyy too expensive. A couple freeweights and a loop around the complex and I can do pretty much everything I learned there. Cut the beers to weekends only and i try to make sure to keep tasty treats at a minimum around the house. Grazing man, packs it on. Dress size 6 (weight has never been a good measure for me), just toning it up/staying healthy. Can't run well, much to d4rk's dismay haha

Went to Wegmans to find those popsicles in the plastic sleeves this morning as a mid afternoon treat when the temp in our office approaches the "gates of hell" level. Couldn't find them. Found a stock boy who looked alarmingly like a certain Vancouver goalie. After discussing the popsicles and their possible whereabouts, I said to him "Has anyone ever told you that you look like the Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo?" He laughed and leaned in close to me, then said "Keep it quiet... I don't want Schneider to find me here and take this job too!" Made my morning. So, Luongo is at a Wegmans in Pittsford, NY. Now you know.

Two books I'm reading... I'm sure many of you have read Ken Dryden's The Game. If you haven't, do. Great stuff. And the other is Saving Face: The Art and History of the Goalie Mask. Just really cool stuff. Learning a lot.

Like how weird it is to not see Lidstrom on the blue line. Detroit loves her veterans.