Bride Of The Gorilla Vs. We Bought A Zoo

* = & don't you dare doubt it...

As much as I complain, and I do it so much I should go 'pro', I have a pretty good life. My wife is gorgeous, funny, sexy, and smart. I have a job that while I don't care for the people who pay me I like the work itself. My family is crazy, but they live far enough away that I see them on MY terms. The people I am fortunate enough to call friends are by and large pretty amazing. I want for very little. So when I have minor little blow-up like the end of the day yesterday and most of the drive home these facts should be made immediately available for my consumption. Maybe this will help me S.T.F.U. when I'm ranting.

To make matters worse I wasn't even justified in being irritated. It was MY scheduling error. I think the thing is I'm in a bit of a creative lull or dead spot right now. While I feel like I have a good handle on Saturday's D&D session, beyond that I haven't done much. I never have pushed the 'collaboration' Pat and I were going to attempt on a comic. I haven't made any new D&D Adventure System Cards in about a month. I haven't painted in three weeks. I've cooked, but I haven't really tried anything outside my normal comfort zone. For lack of a better term, I've been F'Ning lazy.

I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to change this ASAP. Sunday, once I get through my D&D Hang Over, I should try and knock out at least 4 Cards. I should get on painting. Speaking of which I went to Miniature Giant dot com, a great place to get what you want CHEAP, and picked up a bunch of Reaper's new miniatures, known as Bones;

Now Bones are a plastic mold of older Reaper metal sculpts, they come unpainted, but pre-primed. The big thing is they are INSANELY cheap. Like less than $2 a mini, in fact you can get 6 Kobolds for less than $3. I love Reaper's stuff, but Metal can be a pain in the ass to deal with. As much as I like their Legendary Encounters Pre-Paints, they are expensive. This is a PERFECT option. I know what you're saying, "but Ben, you already have WAY to many minis to paint, why do you need more even if they are dirt cheap?" Why? WHY? Well because it's what I love. I've come to the conclusion I most likely won't get to have a Basement or Garage Sci-Fi War, as Mighty Mike is a busy guy and not the best on follow through. No one will ever want to play a Warrior Heroes campaign with me. For all the time and effort I've put into the D&D Adventure System games I can't seem to get anyone to play. All those minis they only get 'love' during D&D. And I don't care. I don't. I love putting minis together. I like glue on my hands. I love the idea of being pissed because I can't get that arm to go JUST where I want it to. I like looking at what I've 'built' when it's done. I'm even enjoying learning how to use Green Stuff. And as time consuming and bad at it as I am, gawds help me, I like painting. I just have to sit down and get back after it.

I used to cook with gusto. I'm not sure why it's slowed. I love it quiet a bit, I just haven't been as inventive lately when I open the fridge. That being said I now have a Leg Of Goat in my freezer, thank you Bernard. I'm going to grill it. I think I'm going to rub it with greek seasoning and oil, perhaps some thyme and fresh garlic. I'm going to cook it low and slow with wood chips to get some smoke on it. I think I'll put a drip pan beneath the meat, that'll be on the 'cool' side of the grill and perhaps put beer or wine in that pan to steam upwards. It's not anything crazy, but it is something different, something new.

I think I'm just in some sort of rut. It's not even a bad rut, just a creative one. For the life of me I can't figure out why I'm struggling so mightly, but I mean c'mon it's not like I'm missing house payments or my wife is cheating on me. This is really just a minor complaint in the overall scheme of things. To me, however, being creatively unfullfilled is frustrating. It's that 'can't find my car keys' frustrating. The kind where you sigh a lot and curse a bit. It's sort of like being hungry for something and having NO earthly idea what it is. It's frustrating.

The thing is I know that this comes and goes, always has most likley always will. Sort of like a Seasonal Creative Deficiency Disorder. I can usually find a way to compensate. I'm sure I will here as well. It just makes more sense to process it hear rather than just stew unproductively.

Will you look at that? I've managed to babble on and on about nothing in general for almost a whole blog! How will I ever be able to bring it to it's logical conclusion?

RANDOM CRAP!

- Seriously, there is a big ole leg of goat in my freezer, it looks like a club.

- I know I talked about that D&D 'Rise Of The Underdark' trailer the other day, but I thought it was so cool I decided to make it easy for you; Your welcome.

- I wish I was rich. Not just so I could help friends and family handle their fiscal difficulties, and not just so I didn't have to continue to work for folks who I don't really respect or like, BUT so I could give my money to the guys who make both Fractured Dimensions Miniatures (you can buy there stuff HERE) & Otherworld Miniatures. Both of these groups do an amazing job hitting up the Old School aesthetics while giving you metal minis at a somewhat reasonable cost. I love the Pig-Faced orcs, Otherworld's Manticore is just gorgeous, and the overall feel of both companies is just fun. I highly suggest checking them out, as I will when I have a tad bit more cash to throw around.

- I can't wait for the next two days to end.

- Two weeks out from the NFL Draft's 1st Round. I read a mock-draft today saying that the Chiefs should trade with the Vikings to move up to get Ryan Tannehill. C'mon man. I'm not sold on Matt Cassell, but there is NO way I'd move up and give away my next three picks to get a guy who has only started 3/4 of a season. Tannehill could end up being a star, but he's a few years away. The Chiefs are on their way to being a consistent playoff team, if they can get healthy, why take a step backwards? I can see Cleveland or Miami making this move, but not Kansas City. Either way I think someone will be attempting to get the Vikings to trade back, and they SHOULD, two weeks from tonight and I for one can't wait to be glued to the television watching.

- Baked BBQ chips are fantastic.

- If you haven't gone over to the The Fairly Secret Blog and listened to the Fairly Secret Interview then I feel bad for you, because you haven't truly LIVED! In all seriousness I'm quiet proud of this little 3 hour excursion into the mindds of Dave & Greg. If you like music, and especially their music, then you really should just take some time and give it a listen, it's damn entertaining if I do say so myself.

- I'm not sure what the deal with my 'Fazebouk(s)' is but it's messed up and I'm seriously contemplating dropping it.

And with that I'm done...

"Queen of Light took her bow, And then she turned to go, The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom, And walked the night alone.

Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light. The dark Lord rides in force tonight, And time will tell us all.

Oh, throw down your plow and hoe, Rest not to lock your homes.

Side by side we wait the might of the darkest of them all.

I hear the horses' thunder down in the valley blow, I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow.

The apples of the valley hold, The seeds of happiness, The ground is rich from tender care, Repay, do not forget, no, no. Dance in the dark of night, sing to the morning light.

The apples turn to brown and black, The tyrant's face is red.

Oh war is the common cry, Pick up you swords and fly. The sky is filled with good and bad that mortals never know.

oh, well, the night is long the beads of time pass slow, Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.

The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath, The drums will shake the castle wall, the ring wraiths ride in black, Ride on.

Sing as you raise your bow, shoot straighter than before. No comfort has the fire at night that lights the face so cold.

Oh dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light. The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back. Bring it back.

At last the sun is shining, The clouds of blue roll by, With flames from the dragon of darkness, the sunlight blinds his eyes."

* = Indeed it is Spider-Man, indeed it is...