Ability

I know how.
I am able to brew a pot of coffee.
I can do it.
I am able-bodied.
I am capable.

Houseguest

A few weeks ago, Cooper started talking about someone named "Mara." We were out on our front balcony one evening and he said he wanted to go see Mara. I asked him who Mara was and he would only say, "Mara is Mara." Just for fun I looked up Mara on the internet, and it turns out that Mara is the name of a demon that tempted the Buddha while he was sitting under the Bodhi Tree. She's also the Hindu goddess of death, among other things. Anyway, I digress.

I found that information rather chilling, but chalked it up to coincidence.

So, last night, I was in the dining room with Cooper and he said, "Let's go see Mara!" So, I followed him into the living room and I sat down and tried to get more information on Mara, and Cooper gave his standard "Mara is Mara!" Then he told me that Mara was sleeping under our bed.

(Chills).

We quietly went in the bedroom and Cooper retrieved these exercise balls from under the bed that he wanted to stack up (like Frosty the Snowman). He whispered the whole time, and was very careful not to disturb Mara. He told me that sometimes Pepper (our dog) "woofs" at Mara. It was all kind of freaky.

Here are some of the questions we asked Cooper followed by his responses:

Q: What color hair does Mara have? Is it blond, brown, red, or black?

A: Red.

Q: What color eyes does Mara have?

A: Red. (He told us later that Mara was entirely red).

Q: Does Mara talk to you?

A: Yes, but not to you and Daddy.

Q: Does Mara scare you?

A: No.

Q: Is Mara nice?

A: Not nice.

We told him that Mara was not welcome in our house, and that she had to leave. To which Cooper defiantly replied "Mara IS welcome in our house."

We told him that Mara had to go home to see her family, and Cooper told us that, "This IS Mara's home."

So, what are we supposed to do with all that??? I mean, granted, Cooper's not even 3 years old yet, and he has a good imagination and all, but he's been consistent about the existence of this Mara character for awhile now. It's just hard getting information out of him. But, you know, there have been some weird happenings at our house in the 8 years we've lived there, and sometimes Pepper does bark and growl for no apparent reason. For the most part I never really worried about it. I mean, the house is old, and we live a stone's throw from a 300 acre cemetery. My feeling was always that if we had a ghost or two, they were probably there before we were and, as long as they didn't do anything harmful or threatening then live and let live (so to speak, heh heh...) But, if there really is a red-eyed thing that sleeps under our bed and talks to our son then I think maybe it's time to take a new approach.

Dooodle

I tried to post this doodle yesterday, but Blogger said, "No!" Today it said, "OK, but with a few reservations."
Stay tuned, though, I have a spooky story for you...

itch/contort/strain/worry

This drawing's better than the other one I posted. Look at this one instead.

HeliumFoot

I started driving the speed limit, and I stopped accelerating so quickly from stopsigns and stoplights, and I'm getting MUCH better gas mileage.

Keep It Together

Doesn't it just feel like this sometimes? Or is it All Of The Time?

This Looks Like Fun

Mystery Barrel

So, I was drawing this piece o' crap and then I accidentally "Pasted" this barrel into the drawing. I thought it was funny, so I stopped drawing.

Dip

I realize now that being away from the news for a week was kind of nice. but, now I'm back.

Workout Partner

I was doing my manly workout* late last night when one of Cooper's toys fell on the floor and said, "Peek-a-boo, I see you!"
We've had some ghostly activity here in our old house in the past, so even though a toy falling on the floor and talking wouldn't normally be considered a bizarre occurrence, having something tell you that it sees you when you're alone in a room in a haunted house will give you the chills. BOO!

By the way, thanks for waiting while I went on vacation. We drove 1,291 miles, all together. Cheapest gas: $4.01/gallon. Most expensive gas: $4.99/gallon. We had more travel days than actual "being-there-and-relaxing" days. But, we were able to bring our dog and our two birds, so I guess it was worth it. Oh, and we also got to see 30 houses burn down in Stockton, CA. You don't see that every day (luckily).

*My manly workout consists of doing burpees. I'm working my way up to 400 per session, but last night I did 144.

Emerge

I'm getting away from it all for about a week. So, I'll resume posting around the 10th with a renewed vigor and sense of purpose.

More Freeway Follies

If you are the guy who, a couple days ago, came within inches of running me off the road and making me crash and die because you failed to check your mirrors or look over your shoulder or whatever exactly you failed to do before changing lanes, I would like to extend a humble apology to your wife who was sitting next to you in the passenger seat. I expect that my subsequent ungentlemanly behavior must have made her feel more than a little uncomfortable.

Judging from her facial expression, your wife appeared to have found the experience of riding mere feet from a roaring, cursing, enraged lunatic wildly gesticulating toward his car's rear-view mirrors in an effort to educate her oafish husband as to the existence and location of his own, and to make a case for the possible benefit of their future use, a bit unsettling, and, I would think, somewhat puzzling.

She, being completely innocent in the matter (and in fact, placed in the very same jeopardy as myself by your irresponsibility!) should never have been exposed to further trauma. So, again, I am profoundly sorry that my impassioned display of auto parts knowledge disturbed her. Please convey my deep regret and embarrassment to her, and may this sincere apology find purchase in her wounded and rattled heart.

You, however, remain a butthole.

Fish Out of Water

On the way home yesterday, some stoolfool was driving too fast and cutting people off without signaling and pretty much endangering everyone around him for very little gain. Judging from the little fish symbol stuck to his car's rear end, I can only assume that he was in a hurry to get all of his important business done before the Age of Pisces (finally) gives way to the Age of Aquarius.

Ha Ha!

Isn't it fun? Aren't meetings fun? Aren't they the most fun first thing in the morning? Someone thinks so...

Free!

This one didn't turn out as I'd hoped. Maybe I'll try again sometime. I'm free to do that, you know!

Happy Birthday, Honky D!

Evil Dead 2 Style.

From a Sitting Position

Sinuses

This is how my sinuses feel.

Homunculus!

Just another wild-eyed homunculus charging out of the ether...

Everything's Fine!

Isn't it GREAT???

Monstrous!

Here. I drew this on my paycheck envelope today. The other arm didn't work out so well, so let's not talk about that.

Next Step

This is what happens after you burn the candle at both ends. You get sick...and, then you forget how to use color in your artwork.

Both Ends