A Love Letter to my Hometown

A colleague and friend had asked me if I would be willing to write up a little article on Iowa for her organization's newsletter. I had the option of writing anything I wanted about living in Iowa or Des Moines and that really got me thinking. When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to get out of this city, and this state. I was sure that I was missing out on all the excitement of living in a big city and constantly complained that there was nothing to do.

Over the years, as I've spent time in some of the larger cities, I've realized that Des Moines is actually a pretty nice place to live. There is constantly something going on but without the price and hassle of a big city. I can take in a baseball game for less than a movie. Now sure, the players don't play in the big leagues, but an afternoon at the ball park is really what baseball is about for me. I can check out some incredible world class art for free at the Des Moines Art Center or spend a day at the zoo checking out all the animal life.

The restaurant scene here in Des Moines has finally grown up. Working downtown (20 minutes from my house) I'm surrounded by great restaurants that don't take hours or reservations to get into. Good sushi, no problem, and without the high prices of other cities. Great variety, certainly. A New York Times article during the recent presidential campaign said that Des Moines had one of the best restaurant scenes in the country for a city this size. Per capita, we eat well.

But the big thing that I love about this city is that it feels small in many senses. I'm not constantly overcrowded. I can go walking on any of the numerous trails in the city without running into a lot of people. I can eat in any of the restaurants in town on a Friday night without more than an hour wait. I can get anywhere in town in 20 minutes or so. I live in a very nice neighborhood at a very affordable price. And there is more than enough to do. I can take in live music pretty much every night. I can shop at a farmer's market every night in the summer. But more than anything I can live well at a reasonable price. I love this city. I've gone from feeling like I'm missing out to realizing that they only thing I'm missing is high prices and hassles. This is a great town and this week I'm remembering that.

Jeremy Tankard is Awesome

A couple weeks ago I did a review for Yet Another Children's Book Blog of Jeremy Tankard's fantastic children's book, Grumpy Bird. I had loved the characters of this little story, enjoyed the dialogue, and absolutely adored Jeremy's art style. It is a wonderful book and I was happy to say some nice things about it.

Two days or so after the review was posted I got an email from Jeremy. He said how much he'd liked the review and asked if he could send me a poster and a sketch. Honestly I was just excited that he had read the review but I was thrilled that he wanted to send me something. He also linked to me on his blog.

So yesterday during work, Jeff called me to tell me that I had a big envelope in the mail. And that it came from Tankard illustration. That was about two. I could hardly wait the two and a half hours to head home and see what he had sent. And they were awesome. I got two posters, one primarily from Grumpy Bird (below, although the color is a bit off).

The second is an image from the poster of Boo Hoo Bird, Jeremy's newest. It had four panels and wouldn't fit in the frame for a picture so you get to see my favorite image, although not the one he signed.

But my favorite was this sketch (below) that he created for me. I went out today to buy frames and hope to have at least the sketch and the poster up on the wall in my studio this weekend. So this is a gigantic public thank you to Jeremy Tankard and a huge endorsement of his books (Grumpy Bird, Boo Hoo Bird, and Me Hungry!). Thanks Jeremy!!! You are too kind!

Mmmmm....Fast Food

Since I've become a vegetarian, I rarely eat at fast food restaurants anymore. It's just so difficult to find anything to order. Even the salads are out since so many of them are premade. Other than Subway, I've stayed well away from them unless I absolutely had to. I've been to KFC twice, Arby's twice, Wendy's once, and McDonald's once. And that's in the last 10 months.

Today though I was hungry for something quick, something I could bring back and eat at my desk, something that was not quite so healthy for me. And luckily I finally have a solution. Burger King offers a Veggie Burger! Not only that, but they use Gardenburger, which is actually somewhat tasty. They're not Boca's but they're tasty enough. So today I went out and bought myself a value meal. A Veggie Burger, fries, and a huge soda. And it was so tasty. I'm sure I'll make that an occasional treat.

The big thing for me is that they offer it. It tends to be a meat eaters world and the fast food world is even more meat crazed. To even give vegetarians an option, is an amazing thing. And a trend that I hope to support. Plus I loved the fact that the toys that came in the kid's meals were from books. Not books becoming movies, but stand alone books (The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls). This is a chain that I might be able to support. I know that Burger King is not a particularly conscienous chain, but they seem to be doing better than others. Now if they could just improve their commercials. (I'm not a fan of the king commercials). But at least I can go and pick up a fast food meal and still not have to compromise my principles. Because honestly, there is only so much Subway one can eat.

Peter de Seve

It's interesting to read several art blogs because eventually they will all be talking about the same thing. Last week I had never heard the name Peter de Seve. Then over the weekend I went through the entire archive for the blog lines and colors. This has to be my new favorite blog and I wrote down a ton of artists names to look at more closely. Peter de Seve was one of those names.

Then I happened to arrive at Drawn this week to find that they mentioned how Peter now had a blog. Drawn referenced that they found the information from Irene Gallo's blog, The Art Department, which I also read. Then out of nowhere Tony Diterlizzi, who's blog I read, mentioned Peter's work. From not knowing the man's name to 4 mentions in four separate blogs in one week. I just had to go looking for him. And holy cow, I'm so glad I did. I am in love with this man's work!!

And of course what I didn't realize is that I have seen his work all over the place, but just didn't know it. I remember a couple years ago I found a painting with a T. Rex in a Paris street scene. De Seve. I bought the book The Bear Went Over the Mountain (below) and loved the cover art. De Seve again. Peter has done character design for work films like Finding Nemo, A Bugs Life, Ice Age....the list goes on and on.

I've seen his artwork on magazine covers and never recognized the name. I've seen his New Yorker illustrations and never made the connection. He's everywhere. And even more exciting for me, he's coming out with a retrospective book, A Sketchy Past. This image has to be one of my favorites from it. Not only does it suit my vegetarianism, it's just hilarious. I love the look on the faces of the lobsters. Check out his blog for a clearer image.

Peter's style is cartoony but very detailed. He's fantastic at creating action and emotion in the same image. Characters come alive in his work. Each image is like a still frame from an animated film. I think it is interesting that Tony Diterlizzi mentioned Peter because I feel like their styles are very similar. And like Tony, I've been in love with their work for a long time and didn't realize it. I'm not sure why it took me so long to recognize his name but from now on I'll remember it. I'll also be adding his blog to my list of art blogs to read and looking for a copy of A Sketchy Past. I love finding new artists, and particularly ones as talented as de Seve is.

Unscientific Study

There is nothing scientific about a study I'm conducting. I don't use the scientific method, track my results, or even worry about variables. I'm just trying something to see what the results are.

Two weeks ago I started a news hiatus. I went from reading six or seven different news sources a day to not looking at the news at all. I avoid my news based bookmarks, change the TV channel if the news comes on, and have even avoided watching Jon Stewart all in the name of psychology. And I've discovered a startling revelation. Okay not really startling, but a revelation.

Since I've stopped reading the news, I'm in a much better mood. Even with my not feeling great, I've been much happier. I'm much more relaxed and my anxiety has dropped off dramatically. (heck I'm sleeping without ear plugs) I'm reading a lot more, writing a lot more, and am feeling much more creative in general. I've been scanning art blogs and doing some of my own drawing. I've been starting new short stories and having ideas just randomly pop to mind. I'm in a strangely good place.

I'm not sure how much of this is news related. My odd near death (or at least what felt like near death) experience is certainly playing a part. I'm sure a lot of the creativity is due to my refocusing on writing and drawing with the feeling that time is short. My goal is to have a published work by the time Jeff is out of school. But there are other factors as well. I haven't played WoW at all during these two weeks either, the longest break I've ever taken. Jeff has been very focused on school which keeps the TV in the house off and the WoW playing to a minimum. Even his WoW playing has dropped off dramatically. Not playing gives me tons of time and I'm suddenly interested in everything.

But since this isn't scientific, I have no idea which of these is contributing to my good mood. Eventually I may try to add one in at a time and see what helps or hinders. I may eventually go back to taking time and life for granted. But for right now I'm enjoying the feeling. I'm enjoying my more relaxed feeling. And I'll ride this as long as I can. Not scientific at all, but I'd call the experiment as success.

Picture

Just playing around at home. I'm sitting writing a ton of children's literature reviews so I will have a bit of a surplus to post on my other blog. And my wallpaper pictures keep changing. This one came up and I thought I would share it. Just for fun. This is an older picture of your humble narrator, one very unhelpful kitty cat, and apparently a snack.

Watching Coraline

I read Neil Gaiman’s creepy little story right after it came out. I remember sitting on the stairs after getting dressed that morning trying to finish the book before I had to go to work. I also remember taking it to work with me so that I could read the final conflict between Coraline and the other mother from my desk drawer. I simply had to find out what happened. I loved the story. As I have said repeatedly, here and to anyone else who will listen, Neil Gaiman has to be one of the most imaginative and fantastic writers out there. I’m constantly impressed by his work.

When Coraline came out in the theaters, I didn’t go, mostly because I hate the theaters. I also don’t normally like movies that are based off books I’ve loved. The book is almost always better. But curiosity got the better of me. And on Sunday I bought the movie (collector’s edition and all) sight unseen with the knowledge that even if I didn’t like the treatment I would love the animation. I wasn’t disappointed. The stop motion animation story of Coraline is a visual masterpiece. I’ve always been a huge fan of stop motion and Henry Selick carries it to its most beautiful and believable conclusion. There were times in the film last night where I was so caught up in the incredible colors and settings that I forgot that the film was stop motion. I am constantly in awe of the amount of thought and work that goes into making a film like this. That’s why I had to buy the collector’s edition. I wanted the “making of” features.

The film stays mostly true to the book with a couple notable changes. While I understand the addition of the character of Wybie, I was mostly just annoyed with him. In fact I, like Coraline, preferred the silent version in the other mother’s world. I loved the treatment of Bobinski and the actresses downstairs Misses Forcible and Spink. Coraline was a wonderful character and we really get a chance to see the depth of her emotion. I’m constantly amazed by how they can create such deep emotions with puppets. But I really thought the Other Mother stole the show. They created a character so cloyingly sweet at the beginning that she is almost smothering, and then a character so incredibly evil that I’m sure there were plenty of children who went home and had nightmares. The film seemed an interesting mix of childish and adult and I went away with the feeling that the movie was actually more geared towards adults than children. That is not a criticism. It is rare to find animated films that have an edge and this one delivered. There were wonderful moments of humor but there was also an edge of creepiness throughout the film.

After watching the film I sat down to watch the “making of” features. I am constantly in awe of any type of animation but stop motion in particular. The bonus features were interesting although I’ll be on the lookout for a book that covers it as well. I wanted more of the puppet building and less on the voicing of the characters. But I may be one of the few people who are interested in that kind of thing. Considering I spent the rest of the evening on the couch reading a “making of” book for Toy Story, I’m far more interested than the average joe. (by the way, did anyone else know that Joss Whedon helped write the script for Toy Story?) I sadly can’t watch Coraline in 3-D (I tried) but with only one real working eye, everything just looked green. But even without the 3-D, I was pulled into the film. I was impressed and awed by the movie, but a little disappointed with the bonus features.

Ender's Game

Of course last week I didn't write anything about anything because I was reading Ender's Game and that was filling all my time. I finished Ender's Game Friday night but couldn't write about it. It was too fresh, too powerful. I just wanted to bask in the wonderfulness that is the book. Saturday I got entranced by a new art blog lines and color and of course had to go through the nearly 5 years of archives to find artists I like. I filled four notepad pages with just artists names who's work I want to explore. This meant that I had no time for writing a review. Today I'm back at work and suddenly feel like writing. So without further ado, Ender's Game.

Mention the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card to almost anyone who's read it and their eyes will light up. When I mentioned I was reading it, I had a ton of people who told me how much they loved the book. And I can see why. The story follows Andrew "Ender" Wiggins, a young boy who could be the greatest military strategist of all time. At least that's what the government thinks. At six years old he is taken from his family to train on battle strategy games. The commanders set him up as the greatest, alienating him from his classmates, and Ender performs. He rises quickly to the top of his class and graduates well early from the Battle School he attends. At 11 he is moved from Battle School to Command School and is trained on a simulator. He quickly proves himself to be the best at the simulator winning every battle against the alien species called "buggers". But the game is driving him crazy. I won't tell you the ending. Somethings are best discovered individually. But they real question is whether Ender's fragile psyche can hold out long enough for him to lead the troops into battle.

This book was a stunning and somewhat brutal looking into a military society. Ender, young and sensitive, is driven to the point of madness by commanders who are trying to see if they can crack the boy. They need to prove that he is the best general ever but watching them push this fragile young boy is very painful at times. The moment Ender gets comfortable and becomes happy, he is moved from his situation. He is never allowed to keep friends for any length of time and must fight his own battles, often with his own survival at stake. And all the time the military watches him. The description of the battle games, particularly the zero-gravity games, was fascinating. Ender's strategies are constantly evolving and we are given a chance to see his brilliance regularly. But we also see how much pain he is being caused.

I actually picked up this book at Jeff's insistance. He had picked it up last time we were at the bookstore and when he was finished, had left it on the table for me with one simple word. "Amazing". I couldn't agree more. Card's writing is fast paced and this book flew for me. Of course that could be because I couldn't put it down. I was interested in the school strategies and the interactions between the students. I grew to love the character of Ender and hate the military commanders. I cried at the end for reasons I won't disclose. This book touched me and angered me and thrilled me. A wonderful combination of action and emotion. And one of the best SciFi novels I have read in a long time. The next time someone mentions that they are reading Ender's Game, my eyes will light up and I'll start spouting about how much I loved the book.

Poetry Friday

I've been a bit remiss about posting this week. I'm guessing my little incident on Sunday morning had something to do with it but I'm trying to not use that as an excuse. The real excuse is that I started reading Ender's Game and now can't think of anything else.

For poetry I've been digging through my vaults for something military to go with the book and still couldn't think of what to use. There aren't that many great military poems that I enjoy (Charge of the Light Brigade aside). But I did think of Rudyard Kipling (best known for The Jungle Books). And he has a poem that makes me think of Ender for some reason. This is "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Odd Mood

I'm in an odd mood. Here is a little doodle I did over lunch with Microsoft Paint. It's called the Tragic Tale of Ollie the Olive. Not sure why, but it made me laugh. Clearly I need my head examined. :-)

Heinous F%$&ery

I mentioned yesterday that I'm reading Christopher Moore's Fool and this title just about sums it up. And I mean that in the best possible way. If you have never read Christopher Moore, you need to pick up one of his books. I'd recommend Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend but you could easily start with any of his others and be just as happy. I've read almost all of his books and have yet to be disappointed. Fool is a light-hearted bawdy romp through Shakespeare with a bit of modern sensibilities.

Fool is the story of King Lear, told by his court fool, a small but mischievous man named Pocket. The tragedy of the mad king and his scheming daughters becomes a comedy when given to a fool to tell. For those of you who are not aware of the Shakespearean tradition of the fool, this is not a simple court jester. A court fool was often the only person in the court who told the truth, no matter how painful. And Pocket certainly lays it out on the line. Most of the royals around him want to hang him, the king threatens him regularly with violence, and he ends up in more beds than should be allowed. There is intrigue, madness, sex, death, and tons of swearing. Heinous F...ery as Pocket calls it.

The story starts with the mad King's decision to split his lands based on which of his daughters loves him the most. Two of the daughters profess their undying love and receive portions of the kingdom. The third, and youngest, says that she loves him as a daughter, nothing more. She is banished to France. From that point on Pocket is scheming to get the daughter back into the country. And the daughters are scheming to take the rest of the kingdom away and rule the entire country. All through this Pocket, bells merrily jingling, seduces and bribes his way through the kingdom creating war, havoc, and ultimately death.

Moore may be telling the story of King Lear but he doesn't confine himself to one story. The witches of Macbeth play a role in this story, and Moore uses lines from at least eight other plays that I counted. The character of Pocket is wonderful. I love him the way I loved stories of Harlequin, there is something wonderful about being bad. Pocket shags every unmarried and sometimes married women he can, swears constantly, and is regularly deriding and verbally attacking any character in sight. He's a scoundrel but a lovable one. He is surrounded by a cast of enjoyable characters and one rather randy ghost (there's always a bloody ghost). The book is full of puns, inside jokes, one-liners, and bawdy humor. And like all Moore's books, it was a wild ride that ends up being a ton of fun.

Catching Up

After not getting much sleep on Sunday, and having problems falling asleep that night, I decided to take Monday off. I woke up groggy from the medication, and called the office that morning. Then I went back to sleep until about one in the afternoon. Apparently my body was finally sick of being sick and ready to just rest. I got up at one and moved myself downstairs to get more sleep on the couch and watch TV. I didn't even touch my computer all yesterday which is really saying a lot. I probably slept 18 out of 24 hours yesterday and still managed a full nights sleep last night.

Jeff was wonderful about taking care of me lately although I'm not sure why it is hitting me so hard recently. I've had bronchitis in one stage or another for four weeks now. I should be used to it. But after Sunday's little excitement I've been acting like an invalid. Although it gave me a chance to catch up on my reading. I'm reading Christopher Moore's Fool which may be the best possible thing to be reading while ill. It is funny and bawdy and wonderful. The story is based on King Lear with some other Shakespeare influences thrown in. I'm sure I'll do a full review when I'm done. But there is nothing better then a funny book when one isn't feeling well. I laughed and coughed and enjoyed.

When I wasn't reading or sleeping yesterday I watched my new favorite show NCIS. As is typical for me, I'm watching it in reruns which means that I have no idea what is going on with the current season. USA has it on pretty much every afternoon for several hours at a time and I was content yesterday to sit in front of the TV and watch until all the episodes were over. I seriously am addicted to that show. Although I think I should probably cut back on my watching recently. Last night I dreamed about the characters.

Today I'm back at the office although I'm still a bit groggy. The good cough syrup really packs a punch and I've been struggling to concentrate and be productive for most of the day. But at least I'm here. And feeling better. And of course breathing.

Saturday Night at the...Emergency Room?

Last night I learned the true meaning of terror. As most of you know, I've been dealing with Bronchitis for the last couple weeks. I do a lot of unproductive coughing, deal with mild chest pain, and complain to everyone around me. Last night, it turned scary.

I sat up playing until about midnight last night. I'd been a good day of visiting friends and relaxing and I was feeling good. Not even any anxiety. Most nights I wake up with some sort of coughing fit and last night was no exception. About 1:30 I woke up coughing, then gasping, then choking. My larynx decided that it was done with all the abuse it has taken the last couple weeks and closed in what is called a laryngospasm. I felt like I was suffocating. Jeff heard me struggling for breath and raced up the stairs. He arrived and helped me to the floor. I was light-headed from lack of oxygen. And apparently that was the magic remedy. As I lay on the floor my throat opened and I was finally able to breath again. Jeff bundled me into the car and we drove (rather quickly I must say) to the ER.

I used to tell people all the time that with the number of times Jeff's been to the ER, I've never had the opportunity to go for myself. That part is true. I've never had to go to the emergency room for me. I've never had a reason. But as I walked into the waiting room (blissfully empty) I was shaking and still pulling a bit for air. The lady behind the desk asked for my name and birthday and then her eyes went wide when I told her I had stopped breathing. She immediately printed out a wrist bracelet and I was whisked behind the closed doors and set up on my very own cot. Since they were short on rooms I got a spot in the hallway. Jeff and I ended up spending from about 2 until 4 last night in the emergency room. I was attended to pretty frequently and everyone was incredibly nice. It made a scary experience a little more relaxing. I'm currently living on about four hours of sleep but I'm a little afraid of coughing. And sometime this morning I'm running out to get the "good" cough syrup I was prescribed.

But last night had to be the scariest night of my life. I've never felt that close to death and I have to say that a suffocating death would not be pretty. I can't wish that on my worst enemy. Today I'm still nervous that it will happen again but mostly I'm just happy to be alive. And counting my blessings. I think it will be a long time before I take breathing for granted again.

Poetry Friday

A friend of mine has been posting Alice in Wonderland quotes as his facebook status and got me rereading the books. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are two of my favorite books of all times. And the Jabberwocky is one of the first poems that I remember reciting. I love the made up words (vorpal, snicker-snack). And of course the word chortle, which Lewis Carroll added to the English language. (no spell checker for this post) So without further ado, Jabberwocky.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wade;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought --

So rested he by the Tumtum tree.

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came wiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

The illustration is again the original John Tenniel from the books.

Create and Destro

No that is not a typo. I know you're looking at it, visually adding the Y. But trust me, it's not. It'll make sense in a moment.

Those of you who know me, know that I tend to get heavily involved with whatever I'm passionate about for a couple weeks and then I move on to something else. This isn't new. I've been doing this all my life. For a period of time I will read and learn everything I can about Japanese Fish Printing. Then a month later I'm obsessed with Kayaking. A month after that and all I can talk about is Botany. You get the idea.

But there are a couple things that seem to defy this trend. The first is writing and storytelling. I've been writing or storytelling (different things for me) since I was a small child and that's not about to stop now. The second is animation which I am a HUGE fan of. Anything animated interests me. I'm fascinated by all types. The third is reading which is a bit like breathing to me. I'm not going to stop until they nail my coffin shut.

But I've picked up two new passions in the last year that seem to be defying the "month or two" trend. And these hobbies are different as night and day. The first is knitting, which my little sister taught me about two years ago. And I'm incredibly grateful. Thanks sis. On Wednesday I finished my first mitten. I used the wrong needles and it's way too small for me, but it's a mitten. And the moment I finished it, I picked up my new correctly sized needles and started the ones for me. I love that I'm taking one long piece of yarn and creating something I can wear from it. I have a group of women who I meet with every Wednesday and we sit, and knit, and drink coffee, and talk. And I've just recently hit my stride when it comes to knitting. I'll probably never be as good as two of my groupmates who just submitted sweaters to the state fair, but I love the chance to create. I've never been particularly crafty, so this is a chance to experiment and try and still create something that I'll wear with pride in the winter months.

The second "newish" passion is for WoW. Although the hobby waxes and wanes in the amount of time I'm playing, it hasn't gone away. I'm not doing a lot of soloing recently, focusing instead on raiding with the guild, but I'm shockingly still playing. What started out as an agreement between Jeff and I (I would try WoW, he would try knitting) has stuck into a regular hobby. I play at least 12 hours a week, which may seem like a lot, but is down considerably from where I was. Last night I raided with the guild in Naxx and we managed to bring down three quarters and part of a fourth in three hours. That's huge. It is scary to think that we might be reaching a point where we could complete Naxx in one night. WoW for me is just an extension of all the role playing games I enjoyed when I was younger. For a couple hours I get to play a totally different person. A character that destroys. A character that shoots fire from their hands. They don't call them Destro warlocks for nothing. :-)

So I think about my new hobbies. One based on creating and one based on destroying. And it seems a good balance to me. Ying and yang. And for the moment, they're sticking around.