Well. What to do with all this sudden free time. While it away in roleplay online? Tempting. But the forum rp I've tentatively joined doesn't move that fast - and this is a real-time rpers definition of fast, so that means the forum actually moves along at a damn good clip - and I really don't feel like talking that much on irc. Depression does that to you. Hey, I knew there had to be a low coming to correspond with the high I felt at Further Confusion. I just didn't realize it would be this low.

But self-pity aside, there's one thing depression and free time is good for. Yes, artistic sort that I strive at being, my creativity ought to spawn forth and bloom on the diet of angst, no? Well, we're going to find out. I've set a goal for myself, at least. Finish all the short stories I've got dangling and have had unfinished forever, rewrite Kaz's bio (because, let's face it, it was written in '97 and was more than a little cheesy), get the pics I've got scanned and out to their owners - old and new alike.

I even did my very first fanart pic a little while ago, of the two minotaurs in the online comic Gaming Guardians, Brahma and Angus. It was so nice to stumble on that, and see minotaurs portrayed as something other than evil, other than the lovable brute, and other than stupid... or all three at once. Angus doesn't count, because he's not truly stupid. And I'll bite anyone who calls him that. Himself included. They're characters with more than a little depth to them, thank goodness. A refreshing change of pace.

Personally, I think it's utterly hilarious how similar Kaz is to them. In the big, brown, and longhorned department, anyhow. They're not portrayed in a style I usually like - more humanoid than I make most of my minotaurs, and with those damn rings - but they're handled so well, I hardly notice. It's the characterization that makes them shine.

But! Pain medication's finally kicking in, so perhaps now I'll be able to sleep.

Ja-ola cheslo, claehj nir nahaf.

Sleep well, dream of glory.

Kaz

Where to begin. I suppose with the fact that it got waaaay slow at work last month. My check was $120 bucks. No paying bills on that. I hesitate to say anything about it - or did, since I'm finally writing about it now - because so often I've bitched about having too many to do in a day. While I pretty much stand by those comments, I honestly don't mind working steadily on a more reasonable number per day. I had hoped it would pick up and I'd be able to bring home a more decent check the next time. And really, it did. I was looking at a full week, and a busy beginning of the next. At least until Thursday.

What happened then you ask? Well. On Thursday, it was psycho dog day. I started with three dogs. Two Dachshunds and a Bernese Mountain Dog. The Bernese wouldn't quit barking, and the hotdogs were nutty, having to be muzzled for everything from cleaning their ears to actually scrubbing them with the sponge. When I was on my second dachsie, a Jack Russel came in. Mean little bastard. Had to use the muzzle on him to even pick him up and get him in the tub. In any event. All but two of the seven dogs I wound up having had to be muzzled, and none of them would tolerate the drier. Most of them wouldn't even stay still for the washing, climbing the walls. Clipping their nails was even more fun. But they kept coming in, staggered, and then late. I was on my second-to-last dog all day. It was a tad frustrating. Well, honestly, about the fourth dog in, my back started to hurt. It just got worse as the day went on, and when I finished, and went home, it was aching something fierce.

I've been home since then, back killing me too much to do more than sit, try and sleep in a chair, and take loads of aspirin. I finally went to the doctor yesterday. I've pulled some muscles in my back. Got a note to be off work until Thursday, the 26th. Called that information in to work.

Got a call today from the manager, who asked what was going on, I told her, told her about the note. She said all right, but as a matter of fact, I should stay out. Seems they're having to cut hours, for kennel staff and so on, and right now, they don't really have the load to justify a bather, so she'll call me when they need me again.

No, I wasn't fired. Just put on hold. Might as well have been, though, because I'm not getting any money for sitting here waiting for them to call me. Not that I am anyway right now, with my back and all, but still...

*sighs* Minotaur's luck is a hard thing, at times.

Oh, on my breast in days hereafter
Light the earth should lie,
Such weight to bear is now the air,
So heavy hangs the sky.

-- A.E. Houseman.

Did a few updates in the Pictures section. Mostly stuff I'd forgotten, like the color version of Yarra that's been done forever, just not posted. Also put up a "lost" picture of Travesty done for me by Terri waaay back, and a couple new pictures of Sehran by Johan-mun and Schatten. Thanks to you both.

I slapped up a few little idle amusements of Minotaur Haiku in the poetry section, and put up the two battle-bred poems, No Tears and what I hope is the final version of New Eyes. Tweaked that second line, and have to remember to change it in my Elfwood gallery. Updated the links to Elfwood within my site to reflect the reorganizing that's been done over there.

Nope, still haven't heard from the other job possibilities.