Couch or Cookies
We recently got a used leather couch. It was in good shape, though there were some stains and a bit of discoloration. We found out that it’s a pretty straightforward process to recolor it. You clean and treat the surface, pick the color you want, and then basically just repaint it with a special paint.
Sophia took the lead and painted the cushions one weekend then we tackled the body of the couch the following weekend. I helped a little bit but then ended up wrangling the kids and keeping them out of the living room while Sophia worked on it. Nobody wants a kid covered in paint (or a couch with handprints).
When it was all done, we had a couch that looked practically new. I joked “Are you annoyed that I helped on this tiny area because now you can’t say you did the whole thing yourself?”
“What are you talking about?” She asked. “You watched the kids. That absolutely counts as helping.” Then added “I always find it a little annoying anytime you bake something and everyone fawns over you and I don’t get any credit. I helped, I watched the kids!”
I had to laugh. It’s true. And half the time when she bakes something, I still get credit because they assume I made it. My primary motivation with baking is because I like to eat those things. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the validation.
It’s nice to share the end result with others and as long as I didn’t make a total brick, odds are, I’ll probably get some praise or thank you for my efforts. I certainly hope I’m expressing my gratitude to my wife in those moments when she’s doing routine things that are every bit as difficult or demanding but less noticeable or flashy.
This goes well beyond baking. I pursue making comics and while Sophia may not be the one drawing the pictures or writing the stories, so many other things that she does contribute to me being able to do this. So, just a reminder, if you are doing something alone, you’re probably not doing it alone. Make sure you recognize the people in your life that make that life possible. Maybe they deserve a little more credit than they get. Let them know that you appreciate them.
Favorite Thing I Drew This Month
Some pages from my sketchbook. I’m working on a story for my space comic Trevor Astra. This is one of the characters from it. The original design had this kind of crest/nose thing. (Top left in the drawings below.) It was the one thing about the design I wasn’t completely thrilled with. I ended up swapping it out for the little antenna. I think it works. I am pleased for the time being.
Favorite Thing I Didn’t Draw
The Wizerd! I came across this graphic novel at a comic shop. I don’t go to comic shops regularly anymore. Maybe a few times a year. Comic shops used to be an every week part of my life for I don’t know 20+ years.
I lost interest in the monthly comic format somewhere along the line. I still love the medium of comics (obviously) but much prefer them in collected and book formats. I tend to find the type of comics I’m interested in at book stores. But not always. Which brings us to The Wizerd! Which I found on the shelves of Golden Apple comics.
Anyways I picked it up and it’s awesome. It’s like a D&D adventure quest that’s a little off kilter and funny. Right up my alley. Artist Rachel Dukes also does cat comics. You can check out more of work on her Instagram.
What I’m Reading
OMG, so much! See above. I removed all the “fun” apps from my fun. They were sucking away every free second of my life. I still have them on my computer if I want to specifically check them. But they are no longer the default. As a result, I’m reading more. Huzzah! I even stuck a book in the bathroom. Remember when that was a thing?
I’m reading Friday by Ed Brubaker & Marcos Martin. This one’s not for kids (PG-13ish) It’s in the genre of teen paranormal investigators. This series picks up when the 2 leads have graduated high school and are going their separate ways. The first book was fantastic and I can’t wait to read the next.
The next installment of 3 Questions With… (hopefully) indirectly ties in with this. Stay tuned!
Family Stuff
River and I did our first Lego set together. Sophia bought a little Star Wars set for us when River was born. He finally seemed old enough to tackle it, so we got it out. I would tell him where to place the pieces and he would snap them in place. He really enjoyed it (so did I).
Thanksgiving was pretty lackluster. We were supposed to go over to my brother’s but people were sick, so the big get-together was cancelled. We were in charge of appetizers and desserts. We met up and exchanged food then ate on our own.
We got a tree the day after Thanksgiving. I think this is the earliest I’ve ever got a tree. Usually it’s a week or two into December. We’ve decorated and it’s nice to have it up. Penny though is worse than the cat with removing ornaments. It’s going to end up bare on the bottom half. It’s a look.
Also I turned 50 today 🙂
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