Part-Awesome, Part-Amazing ... it's Part-Time!

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It's officially the 2nd week of my new part-time schedule! Woot!

Well, part time in the sense of how the lovely company I work for defines it. I've been working 32 hours/week, but starting now I'll be working 24 hours/week.

Back in the piece I did for UMBC Magazine, I mentioned what a huge boon it was to my productivity five years ago when I moved from 40 hours to 32. Just having one extra day without a 2-hour commute + 8-hour workday = LOADS more art was created. That year was when I finished a 152 page graphic novel, self-published it, and started selling all of my books to comic book stores for the first time.

I've wanted to drop another day off my week for over a year, but hemmed and hawed over whether or not it was all that feasible. Losing all your benefits is a pretty scary thing. I'm lucky to have a boyfriend willing to take me on under his company's benefits (and we can without getting married, to boot!) , but depending on someone else still ooks me out.

To prepare for this big change in income, last year I divvied up how much money I'd lose on my paycheck in going to 24 hours. Then I set up a savings account to slowwwwly, over the course of several months, take out more and more of my paycheck deposit each week to account for the loss. I figured that was the least painful way I could get used to my new thriftier situation.

Right now I'm getting a lot of "Are you CRAZY??" 's and "When you come back to full-time ..." 's but so far, just thinking of all the good this extra time will do when dumped into the career I want to be my full-time gig (comics, illustration, design, y'know) . . . there isn't a regret in sight.

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Let's Do This Sh*t, FODMAPs!

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In the spirit of getting myself all amped up for my new FODMAPs diet (starting tomorrow .. *groan*), I've found a couple good resources I wanted to share with you guys.

Get a load of this super cute FODMAPs cheatsheet from Kate Scarlata's blog:

AND, in the spirit of being prepared, I created some meal planning forms I wanted to share with you guys. Along with tracking what I'm eating, I need to make sure I'm getting enough protein/vegetables throughout the day (which will undoubtedly be the hardest part!).

 

 

Here's the printable, double-sided PDF if you want your own copy.

And if anyone else has any kick-ass FODMAP resources, please share! I'm going to go start preparing ... wish me luck! And/or wine.

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Not Again

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How you guys doing? This is gonna SUCK!

(that's a Denis Leary quote for all you fans out there)

Remember last year when I was complaining about going to a nutritionist and getting all my cheese taken away? And then later, how it was progressing? Well let me catch you up on my food troubles since then. Don't worry, it's a pretty short list..

  • After 3 or so months eating gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, I couldn't pinpoint what exactly helped/didn't help with the diet and what I should avoid.  So my nutritionist eventually (after much wheedling) let me start introducing dairy again, via a cube of cheese every meal, to see how I'd react to it. PARADISE. Surprise, I didn't have a problem (I'm practically 1/8th cheese in my genetic make-up at this point), and soon after i went back to eating pretty much everything. Well, except soy. I never trusted that pesky soy anyway.
  • Cut to the last couple of months, when I've been casually seeing a Gastroentrologist. So far I've just had blood taken (LOTS of blood), and breath tests administered (which, for those of you who don't know, consists of fasting for 12 hours and then sitting in a waiting room watching Air Force One with a bunch of dudes for 3 hours). You know, dabbling in getting healthy.
  • Sooo one of the breath tests let me know I have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) - what? You didn't want to know that much information about me?
  • I researched SIBO and came up with the antidote - the SCDiet. It's pretty similar to the Paleo Diet the kids are talking about these days. No starches, no sugars, all fruits, veggies, meat.

So I rallied the troops and, relieved at last to finally have an answer, set about to figure out what it was NOW that I could eat. Since all bread/grains of any kind were out, that meant none of my trusty quinoa/rice/gluten-free pasta was an option. This week I tentatively started eating within those rules. Eggs and fruit for breakfast. Salads for lunch. Chicken and more salad for dinner. And cheese, glorious cheese, to get me through it all. I bought a SCD cookbook. Maybe this could work?

Then I visited my nutritionist, who told me everything I was trying to do was WRONG! And gave me a new list to follow, the FODMAP plan.

All of this switching is making me dizzy. Suddenly honey, which I've completed switched to as my go-to sweetener, is gone. Onions and garlic, my trusty lentil companions? Gone.

Now, I am relieved to get some gluten-free products back but SHE CHOSE TO MODIFY THE DIET BY TAKING OUT ALL OF ITS CHEESE. "Wait," I said, "it says right here I can have lactose-free cheeses!! Right here!!!!" And yet, she still crossed them out. With an angry pencil mark.

Just like that, all of my cheese gone again.

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The Gilmore Void

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I LOVED Gilmore Girls.

Ever since my friend Amanda turned me on to it a few years ago, about 4 seasons into it already being on, I was hooked. Sure, at first I was put off by all the fast-talkin' (only because it reminded me of Dawson's Creek era teen dramas). And I was still holding a grudge from when a woman I worked with at my college's art office told me I looked like Lorelei Senior ("I look like a MOM??" I had no idea she was a really hot mom). But I was soon overcome with admiration for the cleverness of the script, the individuality of the characters, and above all an engrossing tv show that didn't have to center around nonstop drama. I mean, there was drama. But there was also lots of storylines involving junk food and movie marathons.

After Gilmore Girls slogged through it's last season (I say slogged because the network kicked off its chief writer and creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino for the last one and BOY could you tell the difference), I wondered what, if anything, could fill the GG void. Then I heard rumors of The Return of Jezebel James and got excited -- Parker Posey AND Claire from Six Feet Under AND the creator of Gilmore Girls?? Match made in amazeville! . . . So of course, Fox cancelled it.

In the meantime, it's been a bit depressing watching Lauren Graham on Parenthood, trying to pretend her character Sarah could ever be as powerful and independent as Lorelei. Of course she can't. She has to be weak and indecisive. Ho hum. Not to mention Rory being all shades of crazy on Mad Men. Ugh.

But now this week - exciting news that a NEW Amy S-P show had landed - Bunheads!

It premiered Monday night on ABC Family, but even though I don't have cable anymore ($200/month bills are not my bag), there's a free preview up at the ABC Fam site. I had one friend tell me they loved it, and one hated it, so I felt I had the right attitude going into it. Sutton Foster plays the lead character Michelle - a Vegas showgirl who, tired after having her latest dream crushed, decides on a whim to run off with the sweet man who's had a crush on her and brought her flowers on a consistent basis. She winds up in a quiet small town and discovers the town's only attraction, and a place where she might make a new life - a tiny dance studio.

I was warned going in that it could be considered Gilmore Girls Lite, featuring a lot of holdovers - small cute town, strong witty female lead, Kelly Bishop, Gypsy from the repair shop ... but honestly none of those similarities to GG bothered me. For one, this isn't a mother-daughter thing. Michelle is very much on her own and not looking to be a mother to any of the dance studio girls. Also, Kelly Bishop's role in this is far from Emily Gilmore, the wealthy WASPish Grandmother - in this she's probably truer to her real self - a boozy, sassy older woman who used to be a killer dancer. The only thing that I found repellant in the GG comparisons was ... the MUSIC. The "la la la" theme worked fine with GG, I got used to it. But for it to be in this too? Uh-uh, that's where I draw the line.

So anyway, I loved the pilot. I super loved Sutton Foster (and the fact that I recognized her from Flight of the Conchords) and I'm so thrilled Amy S-P is back on the scene, we need more media creators like her out there.

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Cons for All

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Thanks so much to everyone who came out on Saturday to Tri-Con's inaugural convention!

We had a great time - navigating through the gorgeous mountains to get there, and chatting with everyone who was gracious enough to stop by the table. I love that I got to be a part of YEAR ONE of a comic convention. The fact that so many people came out and were excited about TriCon just proves that comics are alive and well and we need more shows!

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Tri-Con this weekend!

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Hey all you West Virginians/Ohioans/Kentuckians! I'll be exhibiting at the Tri-State Comic Con this Saturday at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena. I'll be at table 44. It's my first time hanging out in that neck of the woods, so please come by and say hello if you're at the show!

Among my usual comics/cuffs/prints/sketches for sale, I've got a couple of new teeny prints for this show:

Can't wait to wend my way through the mountainy beauty that is West Virginia!

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Dark Day

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It finally happened.

The day I've been dreading most of my adult life. The day when I would forget my lipstick at home.

I don't think I'm being too dramatic when I say that lipstick is pretty much the #1 thing I don't leave the house without. Wallet's nice, sure - you got I.D. in there and some money if you're lucky. Cell phone, why not? Everyone loves to text these days. But OH MY GOD do not let me go anywhere without my lipstick!

Since I'd already left the house and was halfway through my 50 minute commute to work, I was screwed. No turning back. I frantically thought about other lipstick possibilities - stopping at a drugstore on the way, any remote chance I had some lipstick stashed in my car (I didn't on account of meltiness) ... eventually I decided I would just not eat or drink anything all day, so the lipstick I already had on would last. I stoically put down my thermos.

I blame summer for this. In summer, my quaint 1920s home becomes a hot mess, with the window units refusing to cool off anything farther than 3 feet in front of them. Therefore, in the summer I move my hair dryer, straightener, and make-up into the A/C powered bedroom and set up shop for the duration of the sweltery months. Little did I realize that by doing this I screw up my routine, and the likelihood that I'll forget something is multiplied by ten. Poor lonely lipstick.

Once I got to work I tried to remain cool but I could already tell my lipstick wouldn't last too long (damn thermos I'd already drank out of!). But luckily, my friend came to my rescue. She happened to have not one, but TWO lipsticks with her that she was willing to share so I could make it through the day. Even though I was leaving early, to go to the dentist no less, I still needed that lipstick fix while I was there. I needed it!

She provided me with two choices:

Korres Lipstick Rouge

and Tarte Lively Lipsurgence

I tried the Korres first, and though I thought I put on a brave face I just couldn't do it. I don't feel very comfortable in sheer lipsticks - I feel like they're just a mere step away from wearing clear gloss.

The Tarte, though, was wonderful - very rich and smooth, and had that hint of mint/Eucalyptus that makes your lips feel cool and refreshed. It was a pink color that I'm not used to, but if it's a dark, bold color - I'm all in. I mean, Nars's Cruella is still my jam (as evidenced in this past post), but this was a great holdover until I could regain my sanity.

What ridiculous item can the rest of you not leave home without? Or if you do, will FLIP OUT?

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Dark Day

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It finally happened.

The day I've been dreading most of my adult life. The day when I would forget my lipstick at home.

I don't think I'm being too dramatic when I say that lipstick is pretty much the #1 thing I don't leave the house without. Wallet's nice, sure - you got I.D. in there and some money if you're lucky. Cell phone, why not? Everyone loves to text these days. But OH MY GOD do not let me go anywhere without my lipstick!

Since I'd already left the house and was halfway through my 50 minute commute to work, I was screwed. No turning back. I frantically thought about other lipstick possibilities - stopping at a drugstore on the way, any remote chance I had some lipstick stashed in my car (I didn't on account of meltiness) ... eventually I decided I would just not eat or drink anything all day, so the lipstick I already had on would last. I stoically put down my thermos.

I blame summer for this. In summer, my quaint 1920s home becomes a hot mess, with the window units refusing to cool off anything farther than 3 feet in front of them. Therefore, in the summer I move my hair dryer, straightener, and make-up into the A/C powered bedroom and set up shop for the duration of the sweltery months. Little did I realize that by doing this I screw up my routine, and the likelihood that I'll forget something is multiplied by ten. Poor lonely lipstick.

Once I got to work I tried to remain cool but I could already tell my lipstick wouldn't last too long (damn thermos I'd already drank out of!). But luckily, my friend came to my rescue. She happened to have not one, but TWO lipsticks with her that she was willing to share so I could make it through the day. Even though I was leaving early, to go to the dentist no less, I still needed that lipstick fix while I was there. I needed it!

She provided me with two choices:

Korres Lipstick Rouge

and Tarte Lively Lipsurgence

I tried the Korres first, and though I thought I put on a brave face I just couldn't do it. I don't feel very comfortable in sheer lipsticks - I feel like they're just a mere step away from wearing clear gloss.

The Tarte, though, was wonderful - very rich and smooth, and had that hint of mint/Eucalyptus that makes your lips feel cool and refreshed. It was a pink color that I'm not used to, but if it's a dark, bold color - I'm all in. I mean, Nars's Cruella is still my jam (as evidenced in this past post), but this was a great holdover until I could regain my sanity.

What ridiculous item can the rest of you not leave home without? Or if you do, will FLIP OUT?

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Early Insanity

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It's that magical time again!

The time when I fret over how I'm going to jam dinner, exercising, chores, and comic work into my post-workday and therefore I choose to do something drastic.

EXERCISE IN THE MORNING

I like the big dramatic quote that's attached to that - because  who in their right mind gets up at 5 a.m. to stumble out of the house and go for a jog? THIS GAL. Since I've come to the horrific conclusion that I actually need to exercise for my well-being (cut to me sore from stapling comics this weekend), I have to find some way to squeeze it in. And if trying to exercise after work leaves me whining night after night that I "don't have any time" to make headway on my comics, then it's got to go.

And as ridiculous as pre-work exercise seems, hey it's out of the way! Done and done. Now I can begin the rest of the day with my head held up HIGH with pri--zzzzzzzzzzz.

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Day of Rest

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I've been having trouble lately with weekends. It's a constant struggle of:

  • Wanting to check things off of a list of things I made during the week
  • Making headway on home projects
  • Tackling freelance business tasks
  • Seeing friends
  • Visiting new places

... all bumping up against that overwhelming desire to do nothing and "relax".

Where does this impetus to do nothing come from? All week at work I'm sitting at a desk, or sitting in a car in traffic on my way to/from. Most weeknights I spend in front of the TV with a glass of wine and a sketchbook. Why do I think I need more of doing nothing?

I suspect that my particular problem is I make a GIGANTIC LIST of all the things I want to accomplish, and if I haven't knocked off 482 of them I beat myself up. And sometimes, when facing that gigantic list, it doesn't look like tackling any of it will make me feel better anyway. Sometimes it's hard to convince yourself that spending 16 hours working on a website that isn't visible yet was a good use of your time.

Maybe the secret is to plan smaller goals, smaller milestones, and then congratulate myself heartily upon completion. For example, today could've gone something like: "You brushed your teeth AND thought about going to the grocery store! Big day, good job, you!"

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