The Sum of David

Oh dear. Oh dear. The notebook I’d been keeping for the last 18 months to close The Sum of David trilogy? It was missing. Lost. DISAPPEARED off the face of the Earth.

The only thing keeping me from a sharp descent into madness was the fact that I hadn’t really dived into my studio. My hope was that I simply needed to pick up the right pile of junk and it would appear among a chorus of angels and a holy beam of light and probably enough relieved adrenaline that my head would explode.

I turned the room upside down and it wasn’t there.

Hoo boy. Panic time.

Where could it be? In the past several weeks, I’ve been across the country, all around Pittsburgh, and through all sorts of frantic dog-proofing for the house. For a long time, I carried it with me to and from work, but my personality is one that when my schedule is disrupted I forget my usual habits, no matter how long I’ve been doing them.*

I looked everywhere it could be. Then I checked everywhere it couldn’t. Twice.

Finally, after feeling defeated and at a loss at the priceless information I had somehow misplaced, I looked in the only other place it could(n’t) be: under the passenger seat of my car.

I don’t know what made me look there, because it was pretty darn random. But I do know feeling the smooth cover of the spiral-bound cover was one of the sweetest sensations ever.

WHEW and crisis averted!

*When I’m off work for a week, I forget what time my buses come, even though I’ve been catching the same ones for 8 years. Good gravy.

So Josh and I adopted a seven year old dog from the ARL last weekend, and the experience has been way more fulfilling than I could have anticipated.

Josh and I both had dogs growing up, and although we’d been considering getting a dog for over a year I don’t think either of us thought it would ever really happen. We work all day. The one thing our neighbors always say is “You guys are never home.” We each have a dozen projects going on all the time. I am all about keeping things realistic — and taking care of another living creature would probably be more hassle than it could possibly be worth, right?

Wrong.

All I could think in the first two minutes of meeting Poli was “Whoops” because I just totally fell in love with a dog. How corny is that? He was dirty and smelly… But he was also gentle, sweet and friendly. We hung out with him for ten minutes, got his meager history from the shelter, then promptly ran to Petco to buy a crapload of dog supplies. We took his stinky butt home and immediately bathed him, although he still seriously requires a professional touch with industrial strength tools and super soap.

Poli is doing well. Listening to his kennel cough breaks my heart, but he’s on medicine for it. An exam of his remaining eye on Monday indicated he probably lost its partner due to a glaucoma-caused pressure spike, so we’ve now got preventative drops to administer daily to the good eye. I am worried about what the vet might say at his check-up next Monday, but here’s hoping he’s in good health. I’m at least willing to bet there’s nothing wrong with his digestive track, because homey is a pooping machine.

Josh and I couldn’t happier with him, and every day more and more of his personality emerges.

Josh and I went to meet a dog at Pittsburgh’s ARL on Saturday morning.

We’ve been “puppy-bombing” each other for weeks, sending cute puppy pictures to each other via email. But I was surfing the ARL site and found an actual contender.

Well, that changed the game. The possibility of owning a pet suddenly became real.

Possibility, Schmossibility. Josh and I adopted a very sweet seven year old cockapoo (now) named Poli.* He was a stray when animal control picked him up two weeks ago. He has one eye, and he needs a grooming like nobody’s business, but he’s ours. The Sagers are now a tribe of three.

*Short for Polamalu

I keep wanting to hug him but:

A) Fire hazard and

B) Rogue seeds and/or innards. It’s totally gross in there.

…aaaand we’re back. Josh and I had a delightful time in Portland, and real life has rushed back into its usual frantic pace much too quickly. I am formulating a way that I can drink at wineries and sleep in until 9 am full-time. Email me if you’d like to support me monetarily in this effort.

One new project that I am very super-duper uber excited to announce is a collaboration with the very talented DJ Lunchbox, aka the one amazing Will Rutherford. Mr. Lunchbox writes wonderful haiku using contemporary subjects and alternative art. That’s right, no flower-faints-on-wind or lotus blossoms here, folks. There might be blood, there might be adult themes. There might be Stormtroopers.

We were discussing projects and general shenanigans over beers at October’s Podcamp Pittsburgh, and he graciously offered to do 52 Haiku to match my 52 ills.

Pinch me, please. I could not be happier.  He’s already gotten started over on his blog. Each one he posts becomes my New Favorite!

I guess that means I should get my butt in gear and get up to date…

@joshsager and I are headed west this week. We’ll both be recording our hijinks at Josh and Rachel Take A Trip. Come say hi!

SMELLS. I notice it more on guys than gals, but the idea is the same. Cologne? Perfume? Eau de toillete? Febreeze? SOME OF YOU WEAR TOO MUCH.

I understand. Maybe you really like the way it smells. Maybe you’ve been wearing it for so long that you don’t smell it anymore and you just keep putting it on until you can detect it on your person. Maybe your nose does not actually function properly and you don’t know any better.

There is no nice way to say it, but perhaps there is a quiet, humble and private way to indicate one’s feelings as they are being choked to death by another’s overbearing odor. I propose a tiny card: small, simple, but able to communicate the issue. You can quietly slip one to the offending party without any sense of humiliation for either side.

But why stop at smells?

There are some pet peeves that are universal. Open-mouth chewing. Overusing the word “literally”.

If I can garner a list of general pet peeves, perhaps this is a product I could offer for the good of mankind. Society needs you.

What drives you nuts?

Nice job, moo. These are pretty darn adorable.

John Martz originally posted this on Drawn! earlier this week, but I had to spread the love.

Please check out Robots and Monsters! A description per their site:

RobotsAndMonsters.org is a charitable art project that matches goodwill and charitable giving with custom-made commissioned cartoon and pop art. Giving just a little bit gets you an original drawing of a robot or a monster of your specification sent to your door – and in the process, you get to sleep better at night, because you know you’ve just helped out a great cause.

Part charitable powerhouse, part experiment in collective creativity, and part underground pop-art gallery, we aim to change the world, one robot and monster at a time.

A donation gets you a rocking picture of a monster or robot, customized according to your keywords, and you get to help out a worthy cause.

It’s robots! and monsters! and ROBOTS! 

100% Road Trip Success.

After finding out Friday night that our roadmates were unable to make the trip with us, Josh and I piled in the car and made the drive after work. Getting out of town was exciting, what with the G20 wrapping up and traffic at a stand-still while the World’s Important People left Pittsburgh.

It was nice to wake up in Baltimore, especially when your wake up call is a jolly little adorable cockapoo. We had a nice relaxing morning, preaching the gospel of the One-Eyed Egg and getting our game faces on for the day’s main event.

SPX was in full swing when we got there around 1 pm. An SPX is a sight to behold. There’s about a bajillion people inside a giant hotel ballroom, and everything is awesome. Even the not-so-awesome stuff? Still awesome.

In a move that pretty much sums up our personalities, Josh disappeared to make 10 purchases right off the bat, while Justin and I made an initial sweep to get the lay of the land, then jumped back in to buy stuff. I did get to chat briefly with both John Allison and Scott C and I played a little with the knight. Scott C was kind enough to drive home my regret of not having business cards, because he politely asked for one. I tried to beam my information directly into his head, but I regret it probably did not make much of an impression. Alas.

Josh got about fifty pounds worth of goodies, and while I am Miss Frugal, the (Arnold)Sager household brought home some gems. I have Scott C’s Double Fine Action Comics Volume 1 and a print of his Tree Spirit.

John Alison’s Ghost is awesome. Of course it’s awesome.

Dustin Harbin’s Nutted is a mini comic that names a variety of ways to get hit in the nuts and it is about 100% delightful. I keep reading it over and over.  It is always funny when dudes get hit in the nuts. I am sorry… and also happy I do not have the referenced equipment.

I am slowly invading Josh’s pile, and Julia Wentz’s 2nd Volume of The Fart Party is damn good. I was glad to see she had a second volume, since Josh’s purchase of the first volume was our surprise favorite last year.

Josh and I have plans to get a table next year, so we’ll get a whole different perspective. Justin also broke down his first SPX experience — check it out! Vendors take note!

Also, if you find yourself in Baltimore for any reason, eat at Miss Shirley’s. So super tasty!