Excuses

I have a fairly decent excuse for not posting the last couple of days. I was in the hospital for my cardiac problem. After an extremely elevated BP (for me anyway) and after a lot of browbeating from my friends (who are also all medics to the last) I went to the local ED. My sick Sinus Syndrome was causing an elevated BP, CP, palpitations, dizziness with syncopal episodes, diaphoreses, and sob. (That translates for you non-medical as chest pain, dizzy and passing out, high blood pressure, profuse sweating, and shortness of breath. All of your classic cardiac/heart attack signs and symptoms. The 12-Lead EKG showed no ST depression and only minimal ST elevation; less than 1mm. (No ongoing heart attack on only minimal ischemic (lack of oxygen) damage from the past.) The doc gave me some Cardizem which worked great and my civilian cardiologist admitted me to the cardiac step-down unit for observation. The staff on the CSU did their usual wonderful job. While there I conned one of the nurses into getting me some paper and a pencil so I was able to entertain myself a little for my 24 hour stay. The first page is just some doodles and sketches. The second started off as Iggy Pop but my mind's eye kept switching over to the undertaker in the movie Van Helsing. The face is to round for either of them. The pic on the bottom is from my Budding-Artist of a daughter. It is a drawing of my wife and me from a photo taken at Ft. Massac. I have been giving her art lessons on the weekend when I get her and my son. (She is 12 and he just turned seven) Beings she could barely draw a smiley face last Spring I think she is doing great, so I included her work here, I LOVE graphite and charcoal with watercolor running a super close second. I also have experience with ink, acrylic, a little oil, and colored pencil. What does she pick as her favored medium? Pastel lol. The one that I know basically nothing about. (Does sidewalk chalk count lol?) Luckily a lot of the concepts translate easily for all mediums just like some rules apply to all. The blending is simular to pencil/charcoal. Rules for proportion, foreshortening, composition, etc are the same whether you are using crayons, paint, or a camera.

I have my turkey in the oven, the other sides are basicly done, and everyone will be getting here around noon to 1300. I have a cup of verboten coffee. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

This is what I did (for the last three) todays.