Another year has come and gone, and as I seem to say every year, where did that time go?
This month became very wintry weather-wise, but it certainly didn't dampen Christmas one bit. In fact, we actually got some snow on Christmas Day (it's been a long time since that's happened), which just added to the spirit. Me and my wife spent this Christmas much like we did last year, opening presents, watching Christmas films and building gingerbread sculptures with the in laws. I was also able to Skype with my family while they were having their Christmas get-together too. Hopefully one day me and my wife will be able to celebrate Christmas with my family again - I miss them always, but this time of year makes it all the more poignant, especially this year, as December 3 2017 was the 10th anniversary of my grandad's passing - I still miss him very much, and while I'm also sad that my wife never got the chance to meet him, I like to think that he's with us in spirit, always.
There were also two other anniversaries this month - December 28 marked 2 years since I swapped County Durham for Connecticut, and it goes without saying that a lot has happened in that time (more on that in a bit). Also, December 30 marked 3 years since I popped the question to my lovely wife, it almost feels like that moment was a lifetime ago.
Looking back, this year has been very eventful, much like 2016 was, and not always for the right reasons. However for me personally there were a lot more highs than lows, and a couple of really important events happened this year - in September I finally landed a permanent job, which is still keeping me busy despite a bump in the road. And just last month, me and my wife moved to our new house, which we are now pretty much adjusted to do, and it's safe to say that we love it so much better than our first place. Hopefully 2018 will see lots of memories being made in this house.
My personal highlight of 2017, however, was back in May, when me and my wife flew down to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL for our honeymoon. For a few days we got to explore the parks, go on rides, be kids again, and celebrate our marriage. I can only wonder highlights 2018 will bring.
I'll leave you with some festive artwork - carrying on my tradition of festive group shots over on DeviantArt, here is this year's edition.
I also have some potentially exciting news regarding artwork - but I'm going to save it until I get the green light. It'll be a great way to start off 2018 though.
I would just like to end this by saying thanks to everyone who's read this blog, checked out my artworks or just supported me in any way this past year - wishing you all the best for the New Year. See you in 2018. :)
Showing posts with label 2017. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017. Show all posts
30/12/2017
30/11/2017
November 2017
To say that this November has been nowt short of busy is an understatement.
I've been working at my job for two months now, and even in that time I still haven't got every single thing figured out, as with any job there are days that I wish I wasn't there (and don't feel like I'm all there!) and as I said last month, I'm not a fan of the constantly changing schedule, and I never will be. However, it's keeping me busy, and I still find myself surprised how decent I seem to manage dealing with customers at the cashier. It's helping me a bit, that's for sure.
The main reason this month has been so busy for me and my wife is because of the move. With lots of back and forth between our old place in North Haven and the new place, much packing up, and tons of help from the family (cannot thank you all enough!), it's taken some doing, and while it's been stressful at certain times (what move isn't?), the new house is really looking like home now, and needless to say we both love it. We started living at the house officially on November 24. I also want to mention that getting to work from the new place is much quicker for both of us, and in my case, I get to ride my bike there instead of waiting for a bus. It certainly makes a difference.
I can't talk about November and not mention Thanksgiving - this year was only my second time celebrating it. I still find it funny that a couple of years ago it was just a regular day for me, but that's how it was in the UK of course. To be honest, this Thanksgiving wasn't so great, because most of it was spent working on organising stuff at the new house (it was the only day off we had together however, so it was the only real chance to get the bulk of the work done), and both me and my wife felt that we didn't really spend a lot of time with the family that day, which is what it's all about for us. However, we got to watch the parade, and we still got to eat dinner as a family, and as little time as it was, it was still good to be there.
I admit, on a partly lower note, that lately because of everything going on, my motivation to make artwork has been very low. Writing the next F&S comic has ground to a halt, and when I do sit down to work on something, it feels like a chore. I also keep worrying that I simply just might not have the time to make arts anymore, which I know is total rubbish. I have wondered now and in the past if I should take a hiatus from making any arts, but then I remind myself that I should make art while I still have the ability too (and I mean that as in physically able to - not getting any younger!), as well as the fact that people enjoy it, and I really appreciate that those of you do, do. You know who you all are.
I'll sign off with some Thanksgiving themed artwork - to my American followers, hope yours was a good one, and to everyone else, ditto. Let's see what the festive season brings.
30/10/2017
October 2017
September was a month of changes, and this month was no different. I've been feeling the change weather-wise, as It's started to feel a lot more autumnal lately. In other words, getting colder and a little more rain too.
I've been working at my job for a month now, and as I said, it's been an adjustment, but that's part and parcel of anyone starting a new job, as is having work days that go better than others, but on the whole I'm pretty much used to it now. Admittedly I do wish I had a more consistent schedule, but that's retail for you.
The biggest change this month - big announcement in 3...2...1... - is that me and my wife have landed a new apartment (flat in Brit-speak)! It's been in the pipeline for a while now, and it was just at the end of September that we started looking for a new place. The first couple of places we saw didn't tick all the boxes, but the last house that we saw, a second floor apartment in a quiet suburb with two bedrooms, two main rooms, a garage and an outside deck, was the one we instantly said yes to. The real plus point about the place is that it's close to my job, and also close to the in laws' place, as well as two parks (including a certain park/beach I enjoy visiting a lot). That's not all though - we could have the keys by the start of November, so we could start moving in within a matter of days. Speaking of which, we've been packing up our stuff a bit at a time to try to make the move easier. I can't say I'm looking forward to that part, but as with any move, it will be worth it in the end - and to put it into perspective, it's certainly not as daunting as uprooting your entire life and moving to another country.
I couldn't end this blog without mentioning Halloween of course - so here's some Halloween themed artwork to see out this month. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, hope you have a good one. Until November.
29/09/2017
September 2017
Well, it was about 15-16 years later than it should've been, but I had a major development this month, a bit of good news that I can now finally tell you...I got a job!
I say good news, though it's also bad news in some respects too. Admittedly in all the years I haven't had a permanent job, I've gotten set in my ways - having lots of free time to be able to do artwork, music and travelling. There are a lot of things I've been able to do which I probably wouldn't have if I'd been in continuous employment since school - some might say I've had it too good. I also have to admit that I will miss having all that time, and I worry that having a job means that I won't be able to do the things I enjoy anymore - including spending time with my wife. It's a huge adjustment for both of us.
This needed to happen though. I've had jobs before, but none of them were permanent, and they were all through temporary government schemes, which didn't make me very fulfilled at all. This job is my first permanent job, and while any new job is nerve-wracking at first, I'm slowly getting used to it. All I will say about the job is that it's retail, and it's hectic, but productive. I've also had to come out of my shell quite a bit for this, as part of the job involves working on the till/cashier and dealing with customers. I'm not perfect at it, but I seem to be getting the hang of it - so I must be doing something right.
My new job wasn't the only cause for celebration however - September 28 marked me and Nicole's 5th anniversary of being a couple, and it goes without saying that a lot has happened in those 5 years. I still look back and recall how I had no idea back in 2012 that circumstances would change the way they did - but as we all know, life has no script, you have to take it as it comes.
Aside from working, I've been enjoying the spell of unseasonably warm weather this month, getting as much of my outdoor/beach fix before the colder weather starts to kick in. And despite working now, I am still pressing on with my artwork when I'm able to, most notably the Fyfe & Sparkplug comic (21 pages complete as of this blog). I've also been working on a feature length Bob & Flyer comic, which I'm aiming to have ready by next Spring, so watch this space.
Speaking of artwork, I'll leave you with something a little different - a conceptual piece inspired by a recent Jamiroquai song. Until October, everyone.
I say good news, though it's also bad news in some respects too. Admittedly in all the years I haven't had a permanent job, I've gotten set in my ways - having lots of free time to be able to do artwork, music and travelling. There are a lot of things I've been able to do which I probably wouldn't have if I'd been in continuous employment since school - some might say I've had it too good. I also have to admit that I will miss having all that time, and I worry that having a job means that I won't be able to do the things I enjoy anymore - including spending time with my wife. It's a huge adjustment for both of us.
This needed to happen though. I've had jobs before, but none of them were permanent, and they were all through temporary government schemes, which didn't make me very fulfilled at all. This job is my first permanent job, and while any new job is nerve-wracking at first, I'm slowly getting used to it. All I will say about the job is that it's retail, and it's hectic, but productive. I've also had to come out of my shell quite a bit for this, as part of the job involves working on the till/cashier and dealing with customers. I'm not perfect at it, but I seem to be getting the hang of it - so I must be doing something right.
My new job wasn't the only cause for celebration however - September 28 marked me and Nicole's 5th anniversary of being a couple, and it goes without saying that a lot has happened in those 5 years. I still look back and recall how I had no idea back in 2012 that circumstances would change the way they did - but as we all know, life has no script, you have to take it as it comes.
Aside from working, I've been enjoying the spell of unseasonably warm weather this month, getting as much of my outdoor/beach fix before the colder weather starts to kick in. And despite working now, I am still pressing on with my artwork when I'm able to, most notably the Fyfe & Sparkplug comic (21 pages complete as of this blog). I've also been working on a feature length Bob & Flyer comic, which I'm aiming to have ready by next Spring, so watch this space.
Speaking of artwork, I'll leave you with something a little different - a conceptual piece inspired by a recent Jamiroquai song. Until October, everyone.
31/08/2017
August 2017
Another summer has come to an end. I always feel down whenever summer's over, as it's my favourite time of the year. Onwards we go, though.
I've mentioned many times about the news - as much as I try to avoid it, I somehow always end up hearing about everything that's going wrong in this world, from horrible tragedies to political madness. Then I just have to remind myself that 95% of what I hear, what we all hear is blown out of proportion, sensationalised to get ratings. To quote a famous saying, and also the title of a canny good Jamie Lenman song, "No News Is Good News" - I choose to put the mute button on, avert my eyes from all the dread, and to just live my life.
In my July blog I mentioned the passing of Chester Bennington, the singer of Linkin Park - I say this as a reminder that depression is a sickness, and not something to be taken lightly, regardless of what the media might want you to believe. I'm not going to name any names, but there was a time this month that someone close to me was swallowed up by that depression, and myself, friends and family found ourselves unable to reach that person. This isn't the first time that it's taken hold of that person, and I fear that it won't be the last, but this is why it's important to reach out. I can't stress it enough - if you're feeling depressed, talk to someone. Shutting people out is too easy to do, and while it may feel like it makes it all better, it really doesn't. Aye, it's hard to see the light when you're in that hole, but just remember - you're not alone. We all have times where a dark cloud hangs over us, but that cloud always eventually passes.
To better news now - things could be looking up on the job front. As I type this, I have a job interview lined up for September 1, I will let you know how that went in next month's blog. I also helped out my wife Nicole at her workplace on a couple of days towards the end of this month, setting up meals for the staff on their morning training sessions. It was very busy but it felt good to help out.
One of those days was August 21, which as most of you know was the day of the solar eclipse. One of Nicole's co-workers was kind enough to lend me a pair of special glasses to check it out, and while the full total eclipse wasn't visible in my area, I was still able to see a partial eclipse, it was quite a sight, but you don't need me to tell you that.
We also made the most of the warm weather this month by hitting a few beaches, including a couple we'd never visited before. Probably the most notable trip of this month was to the Roger Williams Park & Zoo in Providence RI - definitely a great place to visit with a wide variety of animals to see, and the park was very relaxing too.
We were also at Foxwoods Casino on August 4th to see Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects play, both bands put on a good show, and Nicole was singing along to every Dashboard song, as she is a huge fan of them.
On the artwork front, I've been busy working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, as of this blog I have 7 pages ready to go. It's certainly a challenge and as I am planning to try and get this comic published, I really want it to be as good as it possibly can be.
I'll leave you with a bit of summer themed artwork, my Surf Club characters enjoying some waterslide action. See you in Autumn.
I've mentioned many times about the news - as much as I try to avoid it, I somehow always end up hearing about everything that's going wrong in this world, from horrible tragedies to political madness. Then I just have to remind myself that 95% of what I hear, what we all hear is blown out of proportion, sensationalised to get ratings. To quote a famous saying, and also the title of a canny good Jamie Lenman song, "No News Is Good News" - I choose to put the mute button on, avert my eyes from all the dread, and to just live my life.
In my July blog I mentioned the passing of Chester Bennington, the singer of Linkin Park - I say this as a reminder that depression is a sickness, and not something to be taken lightly, regardless of what the media might want you to believe. I'm not going to name any names, but there was a time this month that someone close to me was swallowed up by that depression, and myself, friends and family found ourselves unable to reach that person. This isn't the first time that it's taken hold of that person, and I fear that it won't be the last, but this is why it's important to reach out. I can't stress it enough - if you're feeling depressed, talk to someone. Shutting people out is too easy to do, and while it may feel like it makes it all better, it really doesn't. Aye, it's hard to see the light when you're in that hole, but just remember - you're not alone. We all have times where a dark cloud hangs over us, but that cloud always eventually passes.
To better news now - things could be looking up on the job front. As I type this, I have a job interview lined up for September 1, I will let you know how that went in next month's blog. I also helped out my wife Nicole at her workplace on a couple of days towards the end of this month, setting up meals for the staff on their morning training sessions. It was very busy but it felt good to help out.
One of those days was August 21, which as most of you know was the day of the solar eclipse. One of Nicole's co-workers was kind enough to lend me a pair of special glasses to check it out, and while the full total eclipse wasn't visible in my area, I was still able to see a partial eclipse, it was quite a sight, but you don't need me to tell you that.
We also made the most of the warm weather this month by hitting a few beaches, including a couple we'd never visited before. Probably the most notable trip of this month was to the Roger Williams Park & Zoo in Providence RI - definitely a great place to visit with a wide variety of animals to see, and the park was very relaxing too.
We were also at Foxwoods Casino on August 4th to see Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects play, both bands put on a good show, and Nicole was singing along to every Dashboard song, as she is a huge fan of them.
On the artwork front, I've been busy working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, as of this blog I have 7 pages ready to go. It's certainly a challenge and as I am planning to try and get this comic published, I really want it to be as good as it possibly can be.
I'll leave you with a bit of summer themed artwork, my Surf Club characters enjoying some waterslide action. See you in Autumn.
31/07/2017
July 2017
Another July has come and gone once again - and something happened this month which wasn't something that personally happened to me, it was to a famous rockstar. Most of you reading this will know that I'm talking about what happened to Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park - his death was tragic and shocking to hear about.
You might be wondering why I'm dwelling on the death of a celebrity, because I usually don't like to focus on the news, especially when it's about people dying, famous or not. The reason I am is because Linkin Park were one of my favourite bands as a teenager, and were one of the bands that got me into heavy rock music, along with Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. A lot of Linkin Park's music helped me get through my teenage and secondary school years, because I could relate to the lyrics and the heavy music. It's just a tragic irony that those same lyrics couldn't help the man who sang them with the passion and the fury that he had. RIP, Chester - I hope you're in a better place now.
On more personal matters, I've still had no luck on the job front, and as always I'm still looking. Helping around the house and doing the twice monthly side job has been keeping me busy though, as well as my artwork of course. I recently completed illustrating the second of the children's book series for our close friends, admittedly it took far longer than it should've because of my procrastination on it. I'll try and do better with the next book - it's just that circumstances get in the way.
A few blogs back, I mentioned how I was getting disillusioned with DeviantArt too - that's been the case again lately. I feel like there's been a lot of immature people trying to take advantage of me in order to get free art of their characters, or just posting stupid stuff on my pictures or profile just for the sake of attention. I have no time for people like that, and I'm sending out a warning now, anyone who continues to harrass me, or any of my friends that way, will receive an instant ban-hammer to the face. I'm not playing nice anymore.
On a brighter note, me and my wife have been making the most of the nice weather this month - as well as my bike rides, we took a few trips to state parks and beaches, and not surprisingly each place was canny packed. Also not surprisingly, we spent the 4th July week in Newport, the highlights of which were a play on a mini golf course with the in laws, and a sunset cruise around Narragansett Bay onboard the MV Gansett. We also went to a music gig at Mohegan Sun on the 29th, which was our first gig since the Deftones last August - the headline act this time was Kings of Leon, and they were absolutely spot on. The opening act, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, were canny tight too.
That's pretty much it for July. As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - this surfing scene, which was an entry for a summer themed art jam that I hosted this month. See you in August.
You might be wondering why I'm dwelling on the death of a celebrity, because I usually don't like to focus on the news, especially when it's about people dying, famous or not. The reason I am is because Linkin Park were one of my favourite bands as a teenager, and were one of the bands that got me into heavy rock music, along with Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. A lot of Linkin Park's music helped me get through my teenage and secondary school years, because I could relate to the lyrics and the heavy music. It's just a tragic irony that those same lyrics couldn't help the man who sang them with the passion and the fury that he had. RIP, Chester - I hope you're in a better place now.
On more personal matters, I've still had no luck on the job front, and as always I'm still looking. Helping around the house and doing the twice monthly side job has been keeping me busy though, as well as my artwork of course. I recently completed illustrating the second of the children's book series for our close friends, admittedly it took far longer than it should've because of my procrastination on it. I'll try and do better with the next book - it's just that circumstances get in the way.
A few blogs back, I mentioned how I was getting disillusioned with DeviantArt too - that's been the case again lately. I feel like there's been a lot of immature people trying to take advantage of me in order to get free art of their characters, or just posting stupid stuff on my pictures or profile just for the sake of attention. I have no time for people like that, and I'm sending out a warning now, anyone who continues to harrass me, or any of my friends that way, will receive an instant ban-hammer to the face. I'm not playing nice anymore.
On a brighter note, me and my wife have been making the most of the nice weather this month - as well as my bike rides, we took a few trips to state parks and beaches, and not surprisingly each place was canny packed. Also not surprisingly, we spent the 4th July week in Newport, the highlights of which were a play on a mini golf course with the in laws, and a sunset cruise around Narragansett Bay onboard the MV Gansett. We also went to a music gig at Mohegan Sun on the 29th, which was our first gig since the Deftones last August - the headline act this time was Kings of Leon, and they were absolutely spot on. The opening act, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, were canny tight too.
That's pretty much it for July. As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - this surfing scene, which was an entry for a summer themed art jam that I hosted this month. See you in August.
30/06/2017
June 2017
From highs to lows this month - I think that may as well be the tagline for all of my blog posts, as that seems to happen every month.
I think June was a bit of a comedown from the high of the honeymoon in May. Unfortunately I still don't have a regular job, though I did manage to get a couple of interviews. Still waiting on the second one, but the first one I obviously didn't get, and it may have been because of my location (it would've been a 2 hour commute). Back to the job search.
As many of you will know, there were some horrible events that happened this month. Such events seem to happen every day unfortunately, but these two hit home on a personal level because they both happened in my home country. What kind of monster walks into a packed arena and causes so much destruction and cold-blooded murder? The same for those who walked into a London street and started knifing people to death.
My family live nowhere near where those attacks happened - but it chills my blood to think that it could easily have been their lives lost. And I can't begin to imagine what must be going through the minds of those who did lose a loved one in those tragedies. I find myself thinking, "where does all this madness end?" I just hope that those who lost their lives can find some peace now.
As many of you will know, there were some horrible events that happened this month. Such events seem to happen every day unfortunately, but these two hit home on a personal level because they both happened in my home country. What kind of monster walks into a packed arena and causes so much destruction and cold-blooded murder? The same for those who walked into a London street and started knifing people to death.
My family live nowhere near where those attacks happened - but it chills my blood to think that it could easily have been their lives lost. And I can't begin to imagine what must be going through the minds of those who did lose a loved one in those tragedies. I find myself thinking, "where does all this madness end?" I just hope that those who lost their lives can find some peace now.
Life goes on though - on a brighter note, the warmer weather has meant that I've been biking more, as well as getting some beach time too. I've also been busy on the art front, scripting a new Bob & Flyer story comic as well as starting colouring Fyfe & Sparkplug #1. I've also had an influx of commissions this month thanks to holding a half price sale, I've been pleasantly surprised by that, and I'd like to give a huge thank you to everyone who commissioned me, it really does mean a lot.
There was also a very important milestone for me and my wife this month - while our legal wedding anniversary is February 20, our wedding ceremony anniversary is June 12, and this month it was a year since that special day. We marked the occasion with a romantic meal and a revisit of the place where it all happened, the indoor carousel at Lighthouse Park in East Haven. It was bittersweet to go there and see the hall empty and lifeless instead of bustling and lively as it was on June 12, 2016, but we were able to relive it through all the videos and photos from that day.
It meant so much to us both, even more so because of my family flying over from the UK just to be there. It's now been a whole year since I last saw them in person, and I really hope it won't be much longer until I'm able to see them again.
There was also a very important milestone for me and my wife this month - while our legal wedding anniversary is February 20, our wedding ceremony anniversary is June 12, and this month it was a year since that special day. We marked the occasion with a romantic meal and a revisit of the place where it all happened, the indoor carousel at Lighthouse Park in East Haven. It was bittersweet to go there and see the hall empty and lifeless instead of bustling and lively as it was on June 12, 2016, but we were able to relive it through all the videos and photos from that day.
It meant so much to us both, even more so because of my family flying over from the UK just to be there. It's now been a whole year since I last saw them in person, and I really hope it won't be much longer until I'm able to see them again.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork, and what may be a future scene from the Fyfe & Sparkplug story, the dragon duo taking on a troll (no, not that sort of troll).
Wishing everyone a safe and sunny July.
31/05/2017
May 2017
This May was definitely a very mixed one - I feel as if I've been through both extremes of high and low this past month.
On the downside, I've been finding the side job more stressful lately. Granted, I've only been doing that job twice a month since the end of February, so I'm not as used to it as I would be if it had been a continuous regular job, but all the same I just feel at times that it's more difficult than it should be. Maybe if I'd been able to get work 16 years ago and gotten used to having a job, this wouldn't be an issue. On that same note, still no luck on the job front. I wish someone would just give me a chance so that I can get used to it, or better yet, have the opportunity to do my artwork for a living (I can dream...)
As I've said before, I try to avoid the news, because of all the tragedy and scaremongering that makes up 99% of it, but there was one story I couldn't avoid, and that was the incident at the Ariana Grande gig in Manchester - absolute horrific, and as a Brit it struck far too close to home. I can't even begin to make sense of why someone would want to willingly murder innocent people...sometimes I really don't know what this world is coming to anymore. I just hope the victims of that tragedy are in a better place now.
On the downside, I've been finding the side job more stressful lately. Granted, I've only been doing that job twice a month since the end of February, so I'm not as used to it as I would be if it had been a continuous regular job, but all the same I just feel at times that it's more difficult than it should be. Maybe if I'd been able to get work 16 years ago and gotten used to having a job, this wouldn't be an issue. On that same note, still no luck on the job front. I wish someone would just give me a chance so that I can get used to it, or better yet, have the opportunity to do my artwork for a living (I can dream...)
As I've said before, I try to avoid the news, because of all the tragedy and scaremongering that makes up 99% of it, but there was one story I couldn't avoid, and that was the incident at the Ariana Grande gig in Manchester - absolute horrific, and as a Brit it struck far too close to home. I can't even begin to make sense of why someone would want to willingly murder innocent people...sometimes I really don't know what this world is coming to anymore. I just hope the victims of that tragedy are in a better place now.
It doesn't seem right to go from that to talking about all the positive events that happened this month, but as the saying always goes, life must go on.
There was one clear highlight this May. Last month I mentioned that me and my wife got our honeymoon booked - on May 9, we flew down to Orlando, Florida to stay at Walt Disney World for 3 nights. This was actually our second time there, the first time was in July 2013, and we liked it so much that we decided we had to go back for our honeymoon, and just like the first time, words can't do justice to how much of a blast we had. We visited every single park this time, went on many rides, met characters, saw some spectacular fireworks, made many memories, and above all, spent quality time together - it was an experience we'll remember for a long time. Click here for a more detailed account of our time there.
There was one clear highlight this May. Last month I mentioned that me and my wife got our honeymoon booked - on May 9, we flew down to Orlando, Florida to stay at Walt Disney World for 3 nights. This was actually our second time there, the first time was in July 2013, and we liked it so much that we decided we had to go back for our honeymoon, and just like the first time, words can't do justice to how much of a blast we had. We visited every single park this time, went on many rides, met characters, saw some spectacular fireworks, made many memories, and above all, spent quality time together - it was an experience we'll remember for a long time. Click here for a more detailed account of our time there.
As always, I'll leave with you some artwork - a dragon character that I've had in the works for some time now, named Lambton, who I intend to make a supporting character in the Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, so consider this a first look at him.
Summer is on the way - hope there will be brighter days for June, and I don't just mean the weather.
30/05/2017
Walt Disney World - May 2017
On May 9, 2017, me and my lovely wife finally got the chance to go on our honeymoon, and it was well worth the wait. We decided to revisit a place that we enjoyed so much the first time we visited back in 2013, a place where we could spend quality time with each other and just forget about our troubles for a while - that place was Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Day 1 - 09/05/2017
An early start for us (5am!). We'd driven to Windsor Locks the night before to stay the night at a Hampton Inn, so that we could be right next to Bradley Airport, our departure point. Taking advantage of the hotel's airport shuttle, we had the usual security proceedure, which we got through fairly quickly, before having a fair amount of time to wait and grab some food before we boarded our flight. The flight itself was pretty uneventful, and as well as seeing some awesome views of the Eastern Seaboard, including a good look at the Maryland and South Carolina coastlines, we got to take full advantage of the in-flight wi-fi (I'd never been on a plane with wi-fi before, for the record). It was a 2-and-a-half hour flight, but it felt more like a short hop.
Once arriving at Orlando Airport, we made our way to the Magical Express coach, and about half an hour later we arrived at our hotel for the trip, the Caribbean Beach Resort. We were a little confused at first because we were dropped off at a small building called the Customs House ("Is this it?"), but we soon learned that there was a resort bus that took guests to the different sections of the hotel. Aside from a couple of parts of the hotel being under construction, it was a very nice place, with a Caribbean island theme (if the name didn't already give that away), a lake surrounded by the hotel buildings, plus a small island in the middle with a playground, and an open air pool. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we took some time to have lunch and take in the scenery, before we got the call to head to our room, which was in the "Aruba" section. It was very comfortable and had a homely island shack feel to it - plus sliding bathroom doors!
After unpacking, we then jumped on the bus and made our way to the first park of the trip, Epcot. Stepping back into Epcot brought back all the memories there from the first trip, as well as reminding us of the places that we didn't get teh chance to check out the first time round - one of those places was The Seas with Nemo & Friends, which housed an aquarium featuring many different marine life, including clownfish, turtles, stingrays, manatees and dolphins. Speaking of the dolphins, we got to watch a demonstration of their memory abilities, and it was very impressive to watch.
Next up was The Land pavilion, which contained the ride Soarin'. I was nervous about going on it, as I heard it involved being suspended from a height, but it turned out I had nothing to be nervous about it, in fact we both thoroughly enjoyed it. After that it was time to revisit my favourite Epcot ride from the previous visit, Test Track. It didn't quite go to plan however, as halfway through, the ride broke down, leaving us stuck in a tunnel for about 15-20 minutes. Thankfully the problem was fixed, and we got to enjoy that crazy high-speed section at the end.
It was then time to take a walk around the world - the World Showcase, that is, which was just as fascinating as last time. We paid a visit to the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany section, where we were paired up with three other couples for a German buffet. I can't say either of us were crazy about the food, although I can now say I tried pork schnitzels. However the company more than made up for it, we were chatting away about our plans for the trip as well as some Disney World history - I was actually quite sad to say goodbye to them, knowing that none of us would probably ever meet again like this. There was also a live German oompah band, and they certainly got the kids moving.
Epcot's landmark is of course "Spaceship Earth", and it was only fitting that we should take a ride on it for the first time, it was an interesting look at the history of communication, and I found myself thinking it was quite impressive how they managed to fit all that ride inside a giant dome.
By this time night had fallen, so we decided to head to the United Kingdom (not the real one sadly) to find a place to watch the spectacular "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks display on the lake, before my wife requested that we go to the Norway pavilion to do a character meet-and-greet with Elsa and Anna from "Frozen" - needless to say, it was very popular. We finished up Epcot by quickly paying a second visit to The Land (it was nearly closing time) to ride on the very informative "Living with the Land" boat ride.
We finished off our first day by chilling in one of the hammocks at our hotel, with a view of the lake and the stars, and I'm not joking when I say we could've fallen asleep right there and then.
Day 2 - 10/05/2017
Started the day with some breakfast at our hotel, from a handy little market shop in our set of buildings. I caught sight of some of the hotel's resident wildlife in the trees, namely geckos - it was quite unusual to see a place where geckos and squirrels hang out in the same habitat.
Then it was for a refreshing splash at our second park of the trip, the Blizzard Beach waterpark. In 2013 we only got to check it out briefly, however this time we made sure to explore the entire park, and as well as taking a ride on the chairlift to the top of the "ski slope", my wife encouraged me to take a ride on the Teamboat Springs raft ride, and I'm glad she convinced me to! We then took things easy on the Cross Country River before taking a dip in Melt-Away Bay and jumping those waves. After a quick meal and getting dried off, we attempted to check out the mini golf course next to Blizzard Beach, however we'd forgotten to bring some coupons that would've gotten us in for a discount. Still, we got to have a look at the course anyway.
The Florida heat was very overpowering, so we took a quick breather back the hotel before heading back to Epcot to take a couple of rides on the monorail to our third park, the most famous park of them all - where else but Magic Kingdom? Just like Epcot, all the sights came back, and it was just as crowded as ever too. Our first stop was Frontierland, to take a ride on my favourite Magic Kingdom ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and it was just as awesome as the first time. Then it was off to Fantasyland, where we jumped on my wife's favourite Magic Kingdom ride - you know the song. "It's a small world after all..."
We also took a short ride on Goofy's Barnstormer at the Storybook Circus before taking the steam train back to Main Street USA and hot-footing it to Tomorrowland, where we took the tour on the PeopleMover, which decided to pull a Test Track on us and stop momentarily inside the Space Mountain ride, thankfully the wait was much quicker this time.
Then it was time to make our way to Adventureland to join the Jungle Cruise, where we took a riverboat trip through a jungle, complete with gorillas trashing a camp, bathing elephants, natives attacking us and a spooky temple, not forgetting the pun-tastic commentary from the tour guide.
Unfortunately at this point the Florida heat had become too much for my wife, so we took a lengthy breather and downed some much-needed drinks, before we made our way to Tony's Italian Restaurant for our dinner. The food was great, as was the service, and the restaurant looked really impressive too. Did I mention it was also themed around "The Lady and the Tramp"?
We then had to move quickly to find a good spot to watch the "Wishes" fireworks display around Cinderella Castle. We previously saw "Wishes" in 2013, and it was once again amazing to watch. It was especially poignant this time round, as it was the second-to-last performance - "Wishes" has now been replaced with a new display, but at least we can say that we got to see it twice.
Things got a bit chaotic following "Wishes", as we had to try and make our way back to Adventureland while all the crowds were making their way out of the park (it was closing time, but as we were hotel guests we were allowed to stay in the park a bit longer due to the extended 'Magic Hours'), but we eventually made it, and I got to take my debut ride on the famous "Pirates of the Caribbean". This was a ride my wife really wanted us to experience, and we certainly did. It was mostly a boat ride through scenes of a pirate story, including a certain Jack Sparrow, however there was one point with a fairly big drop into the dark, and we did get a little drenched!
We finished off our Magic Kingdom experience with a second ride on Big Thunder Mountain, plus a ride on the newer Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which had some nifty theming and some cool wobbling cars, and also had an encore of "It's A Small World" before saying goodbye to "The Happiest Place on Earth". Needless to say, we were canny tuckered out that night.
Day 3 - 11/05/2017
Our third day in Orlando was the hottest day of the four, but me and my wife didn't let that stop us one bit. Park #4 was Animal Kingdom, which seemed to be more crowded than Magic Kingdom! There, we visited Dinoland USA and took a ride on Dinosaur (that dinosaur face coming right at you at the end threw me for a loop!) and Primeval Whirl, before taking a walk through the Asian village, where we dared to take a ride on the Expedition Everest rollercoaster - I can now say that it's the most intense rollercoaster I've ever been on, I was feeling the Gs on that 80-foot drop! Following that excitement, we took a walk on the Maharajah Jungle Trek through some temple ruins, and saw various wildlife including birds and bats, before getting absolutely drenched on the Kali River Rapids ride - it was actually refreshing with all that heat, and a much tamer ride compared to Everest. We then made our way to the African village, where we had a meal at the Tusker House Restaurant - it was also a character meal, so we got the chance to take pictures with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. Then we finished up our Animal Kingdom adventure with a walk along the Gorilla Falls trail, where there was more wildlife to see, including zebras, gorillas, and to my wife's delight, meerkats. (She wanted to take one home.) One attraction we didn't get to experience was Pandora, the Avatar themed land, as it wasn't open at the time we visited, however we did get to see it under construction, and it certainly looked impressive.
With the blazing hot temperatures, we decided it would be a good idea to go and chill back at the the hotel for a while, that ceiling fan certainly felt good after all that walking in the sun. We also took the opportunity to take a dip in the hotel pool, which was warm, had a couple of slides and a lively atmosphere including a live reggae band.
It was then time for park #5 - Hollywood Studios. By the time we got there it was dark, so we got to see it in all its neon-lit glory. We didn't go on any rides there, it was mostly just checking out the sights - there was absolutely no way I was going on the Tower of Terror, sorry thrill fans! However we did have another character meet-and-greet, and continuing the "Frozen" theme, it was no less than Olaf the snowman. And aye, I told him that he gave warm hugs.
The highlight of Hollywood Studios was the spectacular Star Wars themed fireworks display, featuring projections of famous moments from all the Star Wars films, complete with not only fireworks but lasers and pyrotechnics (we felt the heat from those jets of flame). It was a great way to end our time there.
After a lengthy wait for a bus, we then took a late night trip to a previously unexplored area of Disney World, a shopping district known as Disney Springs. Most of the shops were closed, however we still had a walk around, looking at some of the eye catching shop fronts (most notably the erupting Rainforest Café volcano) and having a meal by the boardwalk. There was also a tethered hot-air balloon ride there, and even though we didn't have time to take a ride on it, it was still cool to see.
We ended the night chilling in the hotel hammock under the stars one last time, and this time we did doze off for a little bit - we were starting to get the "going home" blues, but there was still one more day left.
Day 3 - 12/05/2017
As with any final day of a holiday, it felt very bittersweet, but me and my wife absolutely made the most of the time we had left.
After packing up our stuff and bidding farewell to Aruba, we checked out and decided to make a second visit to Magic Kingdom, where Big Thunder Mountain and It's A Small World both got another ride out of us, before my wife used her powers of persuasion to get me to agree on riding Splash Mountain. We first experienced that 50-foot drop in 2013, and it was just as fun again second time around. We then took our final ride on the Tomorrowland Speedway before saying our goodbyes to the Magic Kingdom.
One quick bus ride later, and we were back in Disney Springs to check it out in the daytime, but especially to have a meal at the T-Rex Café, which can best be described as "the Rainforest Café, with dinosaurs." The food wasn't bad, and neither of us could keep our eyes off all the animatronic dinosaurs inside the café.
We still had time to check out one final park, and this was a park we hadn't previously visited, the Typhoon Lagoon waterpark. We braved the Crush 'n Gusher slides, not once but three times, on all three of the different slides; rode the rapids on Miss Adventure Falls; chilled out on the Castaway Creek for a little while; rode three different rapids rides (Gangplank Falls, Keelhaul Falls and Mayday Falls) and got attacked by the giant waves in the wave pool. Typhoon Lagoon was a hit, and a great way to end our time at Disney World.
Then it was time for the moment we'd been dreading - the going home part. After a frantic two-bus ride back to the hotel, we hopped back on the Magical Express coach for the half-hour drive back to Orlando Airport. (The coach driver waited a little longer for us because our bus back to the hotel cut it very close, can't thank him enough.) After the usual security drill, we chilled at our departure gate with a meal, while I took the opportunity to plane-spot.
The return flight was a little more eventful than the flight down to Florida, and not in a good way. Firstly the announcement for boarding was somewhat quiet and late; secondly it was quite hot on board the plane, the pilot explained to everyone that the plane had been undergoing maintenance for the last few hours, and as a result the air conditioning wasn't working properly - and they chose to announce this after the plane had started taxiing for the runway. Not really something a nervous flyer wants to hear. Lastly, the flight was quite choppy in places, especially over the Carolinas, and needless to say I didn't take that too well, as airplane turbulence is what makes me nervous about flying - I'm glad my wife was there to help keep me calm.
Thankfully, we made it back to Bradley in one piece (after landing I heard a couple of passengers remark "I thought we weren't gonna make it", I sure hope they were joking), and after all of the excitement of the past four days, we certainly got a good night's sleep that night.
Our time at Walt Disney World was just as fun, action-packed and memorable as that first visit, and not only did we make so many memories, it was also a wonderful way to spend our honeymoon.
You can watch our videos from the trip here:
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #1
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #2
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #3
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #4
You can also check out my photos from the trip here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskX4GMjp
P.S. Me and my wife want to give a special thank you to my wife's parents and close friend for helping us out with the honeymoon, we really appreciate it and cannot thank you enough.
Day 1 - 09/05/2017
An early start for us (5am!). We'd driven to Windsor Locks the night before to stay the night at a Hampton Inn, so that we could be right next to Bradley Airport, our departure point. Taking advantage of the hotel's airport shuttle, we had the usual security proceedure, which we got through fairly quickly, before having a fair amount of time to wait and grab some food before we boarded our flight. The flight itself was pretty uneventful, and as well as seeing some awesome views of the Eastern Seaboard, including a good look at the Maryland and South Carolina coastlines, we got to take full advantage of the in-flight wi-fi (I'd never been on a plane with wi-fi before, for the record). It was a 2-and-a-half hour flight, but it felt more like a short hop.
Once arriving at Orlando Airport, we made our way to the Magical Express coach, and about half an hour later we arrived at our hotel for the trip, the Caribbean Beach Resort. We were a little confused at first because we were dropped off at a small building called the Customs House ("Is this it?"), but we soon learned that there was a resort bus that took guests to the different sections of the hotel. Aside from a couple of parts of the hotel being under construction, it was a very nice place, with a Caribbean island theme (if the name didn't already give that away), a lake surrounded by the hotel buildings, plus a small island in the middle with a playground, and an open air pool. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we took some time to have lunch and take in the scenery, before we got the call to head to our room, which was in the "Aruba" section. It was very comfortable and had a homely island shack feel to it - plus sliding bathroom doors!
After unpacking, we then jumped on the bus and made our way to the first park of the trip, Epcot. Stepping back into Epcot brought back all the memories there from the first trip, as well as reminding us of the places that we didn't get teh chance to check out the first time round - one of those places was The Seas with Nemo & Friends, which housed an aquarium featuring many different marine life, including clownfish, turtles, stingrays, manatees and dolphins. Speaking of the dolphins, we got to watch a demonstration of their memory abilities, and it was very impressive to watch.
Next up was The Land pavilion, which contained the ride Soarin'. I was nervous about going on it, as I heard it involved being suspended from a height, but it turned out I had nothing to be nervous about it, in fact we both thoroughly enjoyed it. After that it was time to revisit my favourite Epcot ride from the previous visit, Test Track. It didn't quite go to plan however, as halfway through, the ride broke down, leaving us stuck in a tunnel for about 15-20 minutes. Thankfully the problem was fixed, and we got to enjoy that crazy high-speed section at the end.
It was then time to take a walk around the world - the World Showcase, that is, which was just as fascinating as last time. We paid a visit to the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany section, where we were paired up with three other couples for a German buffet. I can't say either of us were crazy about the food, although I can now say I tried pork schnitzels. However the company more than made up for it, we were chatting away about our plans for the trip as well as some Disney World history - I was actually quite sad to say goodbye to them, knowing that none of us would probably ever meet again like this. There was also a live German oompah band, and they certainly got the kids moving.
Epcot's landmark is of course "Spaceship Earth", and it was only fitting that we should take a ride on it for the first time, it was an interesting look at the history of communication, and I found myself thinking it was quite impressive how they managed to fit all that ride inside a giant dome.
By this time night had fallen, so we decided to head to the United Kingdom (not the real one sadly) to find a place to watch the spectacular "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks display on the lake, before my wife requested that we go to the Norway pavilion to do a character meet-and-greet with Elsa and Anna from "Frozen" - needless to say, it was very popular. We finished up Epcot by quickly paying a second visit to The Land (it was nearly closing time) to ride on the very informative "Living with the Land" boat ride.
We finished off our first day by chilling in one of the hammocks at our hotel, with a view of the lake and the stars, and I'm not joking when I say we could've fallen asleep right there and then.
Day 2 - 10/05/2017
Started the day with some breakfast at our hotel, from a handy little market shop in our set of buildings. I caught sight of some of the hotel's resident wildlife in the trees, namely geckos - it was quite unusual to see a place where geckos and squirrels hang out in the same habitat.
Then it was for a refreshing splash at our second park of the trip, the Blizzard Beach waterpark. In 2013 we only got to check it out briefly, however this time we made sure to explore the entire park, and as well as taking a ride on the chairlift to the top of the "ski slope", my wife encouraged me to take a ride on the Teamboat Springs raft ride, and I'm glad she convinced me to! We then took things easy on the Cross Country River before taking a dip in Melt-Away Bay and jumping those waves. After a quick meal and getting dried off, we attempted to check out the mini golf course next to Blizzard Beach, however we'd forgotten to bring some coupons that would've gotten us in for a discount. Still, we got to have a look at the course anyway.
The Florida heat was very overpowering, so we took a quick breather back the hotel before heading back to Epcot to take a couple of rides on the monorail to our third park, the most famous park of them all - where else but Magic Kingdom? Just like Epcot, all the sights came back, and it was just as crowded as ever too. Our first stop was Frontierland, to take a ride on my favourite Magic Kingdom ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and it was just as awesome as the first time. Then it was off to Fantasyland, where we jumped on my wife's favourite Magic Kingdom ride - you know the song. "It's a small world after all..."
We also took a short ride on Goofy's Barnstormer at the Storybook Circus before taking the steam train back to Main Street USA and hot-footing it to Tomorrowland, where we took the tour on the PeopleMover, which decided to pull a Test Track on us and stop momentarily inside the Space Mountain ride, thankfully the wait was much quicker this time.
Then it was time to make our way to Adventureland to join the Jungle Cruise, where we took a riverboat trip through a jungle, complete with gorillas trashing a camp, bathing elephants, natives attacking us and a spooky temple, not forgetting the pun-tastic commentary from the tour guide.
Unfortunately at this point the Florida heat had become too much for my wife, so we took a lengthy breather and downed some much-needed drinks, before we made our way to Tony's Italian Restaurant for our dinner. The food was great, as was the service, and the restaurant looked really impressive too. Did I mention it was also themed around "The Lady and the Tramp"?
We then had to move quickly to find a good spot to watch the "Wishes" fireworks display around Cinderella Castle. We previously saw "Wishes" in 2013, and it was once again amazing to watch. It was especially poignant this time round, as it was the second-to-last performance - "Wishes" has now been replaced with a new display, but at least we can say that we got to see it twice.
Things got a bit chaotic following "Wishes", as we had to try and make our way back to Adventureland while all the crowds were making their way out of the park (it was closing time, but as we were hotel guests we were allowed to stay in the park a bit longer due to the extended 'Magic Hours'), but we eventually made it, and I got to take my debut ride on the famous "Pirates of the Caribbean". This was a ride my wife really wanted us to experience, and we certainly did. It was mostly a boat ride through scenes of a pirate story, including a certain Jack Sparrow, however there was one point with a fairly big drop into the dark, and we did get a little drenched!
We finished off our Magic Kingdom experience with a second ride on Big Thunder Mountain, plus a ride on the newer Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which had some nifty theming and some cool wobbling cars, and also had an encore of "It's A Small World" before saying goodbye to "The Happiest Place on Earth". Needless to say, we were canny tuckered out that night.
Day 3 - 11/05/2017
Our third day in Orlando was the hottest day of the four, but me and my wife didn't let that stop us one bit. Park #4 was Animal Kingdom, which seemed to be more crowded than Magic Kingdom! There, we visited Dinoland USA and took a ride on Dinosaur (that dinosaur face coming right at you at the end threw me for a loop!) and Primeval Whirl, before taking a walk through the Asian village, where we dared to take a ride on the Expedition Everest rollercoaster - I can now say that it's the most intense rollercoaster I've ever been on, I was feeling the Gs on that 80-foot drop! Following that excitement, we took a walk on the Maharajah Jungle Trek through some temple ruins, and saw various wildlife including birds and bats, before getting absolutely drenched on the Kali River Rapids ride - it was actually refreshing with all that heat, and a much tamer ride compared to Everest. We then made our way to the African village, where we had a meal at the Tusker House Restaurant - it was also a character meal, so we got the chance to take pictures with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Donald Duck. Then we finished up our Animal Kingdom adventure with a walk along the Gorilla Falls trail, where there was more wildlife to see, including zebras, gorillas, and to my wife's delight, meerkats. (She wanted to take one home.) One attraction we didn't get to experience was Pandora, the Avatar themed land, as it wasn't open at the time we visited, however we did get to see it under construction, and it certainly looked impressive.
With the blazing hot temperatures, we decided it would be a good idea to go and chill back at the the hotel for a while, that ceiling fan certainly felt good after all that walking in the sun. We also took the opportunity to take a dip in the hotel pool, which was warm, had a couple of slides and a lively atmosphere including a live reggae band.
It was then time for park #5 - Hollywood Studios. By the time we got there it was dark, so we got to see it in all its neon-lit glory. We didn't go on any rides there, it was mostly just checking out the sights - there was absolutely no way I was going on the Tower of Terror, sorry thrill fans! However we did have another character meet-and-greet, and continuing the "Frozen" theme, it was no less than Olaf the snowman. And aye, I told him that he gave warm hugs.
The highlight of Hollywood Studios was the spectacular Star Wars themed fireworks display, featuring projections of famous moments from all the Star Wars films, complete with not only fireworks but lasers and pyrotechnics (we felt the heat from those jets of flame). It was a great way to end our time there.
After a lengthy wait for a bus, we then took a late night trip to a previously unexplored area of Disney World, a shopping district known as Disney Springs. Most of the shops were closed, however we still had a walk around, looking at some of the eye catching shop fronts (most notably the erupting Rainforest Café volcano) and having a meal by the boardwalk. There was also a tethered hot-air balloon ride there, and even though we didn't have time to take a ride on it, it was still cool to see.
We ended the night chilling in the hotel hammock under the stars one last time, and this time we did doze off for a little bit - we were starting to get the "going home" blues, but there was still one more day left.
Day 3 - 12/05/2017
As with any final day of a holiday, it felt very bittersweet, but me and my wife absolutely made the most of the time we had left.
After packing up our stuff and bidding farewell to Aruba, we checked out and decided to make a second visit to Magic Kingdom, where Big Thunder Mountain and It's A Small World both got another ride out of us, before my wife used her powers of persuasion to get me to agree on riding Splash Mountain. We first experienced that 50-foot drop in 2013, and it was just as fun again second time around. We then took our final ride on the Tomorrowland Speedway before saying our goodbyes to the Magic Kingdom.
One quick bus ride later, and we were back in Disney Springs to check it out in the daytime, but especially to have a meal at the T-Rex Café, which can best be described as "the Rainforest Café, with dinosaurs." The food wasn't bad, and neither of us could keep our eyes off all the animatronic dinosaurs inside the café.
We still had time to check out one final park, and this was a park we hadn't previously visited, the Typhoon Lagoon waterpark. We braved the Crush 'n Gusher slides, not once but three times, on all three of the different slides; rode the rapids on Miss Adventure Falls; chilled out on the Castaway Creek for a little while; rode three different rapids rides (Gangplank Falls, Keelhaul Falls and Mayday Falls) and got attacked by the giant waves in the wave pool. Typhoon Lagoon was a hit, and a great way to end our time at Disney World.
Then it was time for the moment we'd been dreading - the going home part. After a frantic two-bus ride back to the hotel, we hopped back on the Magical Express coach for the half-hour drive back to Orlando Airport. (The coach driver waited a little longer for us because our bus back to the hotel cut it very close, can't thank him enough.) After the usual security drill, we chilled at our departure gate with a meal, while I took the opportunity to plane-spot.
The return flight was a little more eventful than the flight down to Florida, and not in a good way. Firstly the announcement for boarding was somewhat quiet and late; secondly it was quite hot on board the plane, the pilot explained to everyone that the plane had been undergoing maintenance for the last few hours, and as a result the air conditioning wasn't working properly - and they chose to announce this after the plane had started taxiing for the runway. Not really something a nervous flyer wants to hear. Lastly, the flight was quite choppy in places, especially over the Carolinas, and needless to say I didn't take that too well, as airplane turbulence is what makes me nervous about flying - I'm glad my wife was there to help keep me calm.
Thankfully, we made it back to Bradley in one piece (after landing I heard a couple of passengers remark "I thought we weren't gonna make it", I sure hope they were joking), and after all of the excitement of the past four days, we certainly got a good night's sleep that night.
Our time at Walt Disney World was just as fun, action-packed and memorable as that first visit, and not only did we make so many memories, it was also a wonderful way to spend our honeymoon.
You can watch our videos from the trip here:
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #1
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #2
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #3
Walt Disney World - May 2017 #4
You can also check out my photos from the trip here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskX4GMjp
P.S. Me and my wife want to give a special thank you to my wife's parents and close friend for helping us out with the honeymoon, we really appreciate it and cannot thank you enough.
30/04/2017
April 2017
I don't think I have a huge amount to say about this month to be honest - it's been more or less the same as March was.
The job situation is still the same - still looking, and I'm still doing the side job twice a month (although this month it was three times). Admittedly it's been a bit stressful, and on one of the days I felt like everything that could go wrong went wrong, some of which was out of my hands, some of which was me not handling stuff as good as I should've. Days like that are what make me nervous about having a regular job, and I really hope I can get past that someday. However, it is still a job, and at the end of the day it's experience, and it gets me out of the house.
I've also been wondering if some of what I said in my last blog post might've turned some people away from my artwork, and if they have, then I'm sorry that it made you feel that way. I still stand by what I said however, and with that said I'm still going to carry on making my artworks regardless. As the saying goes, to each their own.
I mentioned getting out of the house before, and with the weather becoming warmer and drier, I've started my bike rides again, and a few months of not bike riding certainly does make a big difference, but as exhausting as it can be, it's always good to just get out there and ride like the wind. It's also strange looking back to a year ago, when I was very reluctant to venture out onto the Connecticut roads by myself for the first time. Now it's just second nature.
On the artwork front, I can't say I've really been motivated to do much digital artwork lately, and that's because I've been working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic. The inking phase is nearing completion, so hopefully soon I'll be able to move onto the colouring phase. I'm still trying to figure out how to go about releasing it - upload it to Tapas, or publish it in book form, or even both? I still have a while to go before I reach that stage though.
This month was also a very special someone's birthday - April 23rd was my lovely wife's birthday, and we celebrated it with a weekend away in guess where, Rhode Island. There were casinos, hotel pools, a restaurant meal, some shopping, and watching the sunset over the Atlantic. Did I mention lots of together time too? (There's your mushy moment for this month.)
I can't end this blog without mentioning Easter - hope you had a good one if you celebrated it. And as always, I'll leave you with some artwork - my wife's birthday falls on the same day as St. George's Day, and I couldn't resist making a scene with a certain knight and a certain dragon duo.
There was one last thing that i forgot to mention last month - me and my wife are finally going on our honeymoon. We would've gone last year, but for circumstances - and as for where we're going, I'll leave that until the comes. (Hint: we've been there once before, and no, it's not Rhode Island.)
You'll get to hear all about it in a month's time - peace out.
31/03/2017
March 2017
Spring has come around again, although it hasn't really felt like it, in more ways than one.
I feel like this month's been somewhat of a low for me. Maybe it's because of the daylight savings or the late snowfall, but either way that time change always seems to do a number on the mood.
I've been feeling disillusioned with posting my art on DeviantArt lately, and while this isn't the first time it's happened, it somehow feels worse than in the past. It's moreso the wider DA community that's frustrating me, every time I open my inbox the vast majority of it is favebomb after favebomb after favebomb, or some comment that compares one of my characters to a more famous character, as if the perosn who posted that is just trying to antagonise me. There are far too many people on DA who only care about fanart or jumping on the bandwagon of what's popular, and/or want people to do free requests for them all the time, to the point of harrassment. I have no time for people like that, and I say that as someone who was like that at times in my earlier days on DA, which I deeply regret, as it probably drove a few people away. And maybe I'm sounding selfish here, but sometimes I feel like I take the time to check out people's artworks and leave feedback, and 9 times out of 10 it doesn't get reciprocated. I'm not saying people have to leave feedback, it's their choice, and I get that people are busy and/or just don't know what to say sometimes. I just like to hear what people think about my artworks, and sometimes I just feel they only acknowledge my existence when I check out their artworks and/or use it as an opportunity to big themselves up - I don't have time for those people either. At the end of the day, I believe you should make time for your fans, and I personally always try to.
All of this is part of the reason I migrated my comics to Tapastic. I admit, the revenue side of that was the other main motivator because ultimately I want to use my artwork to make a living, and I'm sure anyone who's in my position can understand that, especially if you're married and trying to pay the bills.
Like I said last month though, I still have no intention of ever leaving DA, even though I feel that my patience has been severely tested lately. I know there are people who do enjoy my artworks, and I don't want to take that away from them. You are the people who motivate me to stay on DA and keep on making my art, and I can't put into words how much I do appreciate that.
I wish I could say it gets better, and it sort of did but didn't. I had my very first job interview this month, for a warehouse/office job nearby. I felt like I said most of the right things at the interview, but unfortunately I didn't get the job, and I'm still disappointed about it - it would have been ideal hours in an ideal location and a not too terrible commute either. If anything, it was some much-needed interview practice, and the company did say they would keep my details on file, so hopefully in the future I might get another chance with them. I can't help but wonder what could've been though.
I also joined a temp agency this month, in the hope of being able to do some temp jobs in the meantime - however the agency I signed up with have so far turned out to be less than great at what they do, I contacted them every day for 2 weeks and they didn't answer once, so I've decided to try a couple of different agencies instead - I'll let you know how that goes.
I know there are some who will say that I'm crying over spilt milk, that there are far worse problems in this world than some thirtysomething British ex-pat in America complaining about his artwork and not being able to get a job. Those people are probably right. I should be thankful that I have a roof over my head, that I'm married to my soulmate, I have an artisitic ability at all, and that I have the love and support of my family. And these grievances, like most, will pass.
March hasn't been completely gloomy however - I've been continuing working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, and I've got 10 pages inked so far, at the time of writing this. Also, as mentioned above, I've been hosting my comics on Tapastic for a month now, and they're getting a lot of hits, so I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit my Tapastic page and check out the comics, I really do appreciate it.
That side job at Nicole's work that I started last month has a been a bit of a learning curve. I've set up the meetings 3 times now, and it's certainly kept me on my toes. I've been told I'm doing a good job with it so far, save for some minor hiccups here and there. That's how any job goes though, it takes time to master it.
I'm also glad that the lighter, and hopefully soon, warmer days and nights are back again. It's things like that and being able to spend quality time with Nicole that make things worthwhile.
Hope I can bring you a happer blog for April - until then, I'll leave you with this group shot of my "Surf Club" comic cast, to remind you of warmer days to come.
I feel like this month's been somewhat of a low for me. Maybe it's because of the daylight savings or the late snowfall, but either way that time change always seems to do a number on the mood.
I've been feeling disillusioned with posting my art on DeviantArt lately, and while this isn't the first time it's happened, it somehow feels worse than in the past. It's moreso the wider DA community that's frustrating me, every time I open my inbox the vast majority of it is favebomb after favebomb after favebomb, or some comment that compares one of my characters to a more famous character, as if the perosn who posted that is just trying to antagonise me. There are far too many people on DA who only care about fanart or jumping on the bandwagon of what's popular, and/or want people to do free requests for them all the time, to the point of harrassment. I have no time for people like that, and I say that as someone who was like that at times in my earlier days on DA, which I deeply regret, as it probably drove a few people away. And maybe I'm sounding selfish here, but sometimes I feel like I take the time to check out people's artworks and leave feedback, and 9 times out of 10 it doesn't get reciprocated. I'm not saying people have to leave feedback, it's their choice, and I get that people are busy and/or just don't know what to say sometimes. I just like to hear what people think about my artworks, and sometimes I just feel they only acknowledge my existence when I check out their artworks and/or use it as an opportunity to big themselves up - I don't have time for those people either. At the end of the day, I believe you should make time for your fans, and I personally always try to.
All of this is part of the reason I migrated my comics to Tapastic. I admit, the revenue side of that was the other main motivator because ultimately I want to use my artwork to make a living, and I'm sure anyone who's in my position can understand that, especially if you're married and trying to pay the bills.
Like I said last month though, I still have no intention of ever leaving DA, even though I feel that my patience has been severely tested lately. I know there are people who do enjoy my artworks, and I don't want to take that away from them. You are the people who motivate me to stay on DA and keep on making my art, and I can't put into words how much I do appreciate that.
I wish I could say it gets better, and it sort of did but didn't. I had my very first job interview this month, for a warehouse/office job nearby. I felt like I said most of the right things at the interview, but unfortunately I didn't get the job, and I'm still disappointed about it - it would have been ideal hours in an ideal location and a not too terrible commute either. If anything, it was some much-needed interview practice, and the company did say they would keep my details on file, so hopefully in the future I might get another chance with them. I can't help but wonder what could've been though.
I also joined a temp agency this month, in the hope of being able to do some temp jobs in the meantime - however the agency I signed up with have so far turned out to be less than great at what they do, I contacted them every day for 2 weeks and they didn't answer once, so I've decided to try a couple of different agencies instead - I'll let you know how that goes.
I know there are some who will say that I'm crying over spilt milk, that there are far worse problems in this world than some thirtysomething British ex-pat in America complaining about his artwork and not being able to get a job. Those people are probably right. I should be thankful that I have a roof over my head, that I'm married to my soulmate, I have an artisitic ability at all, and that I have the love and support of my family. And these grievances, like most, will pass.
March hasn't been completely gloomy however - I've been continuing working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, and I've got 10 pages inked so far, at the time of writing this. Also, as mentioned above, I've been hosting my comics on Tapastic for a month now, and they're getting a lot of hits, so I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit my Tapastic page and check out the comics, I really do appreciate it.
That side job at Nicole's work that I started last month has a been a bit of a learning curve. I've set up the meetings 3 times now, and it's certainly kept me on my toes. I've been told I'm doing a good job with it so far, save for some minor hiccups here and there. That's how any job goes though, it takes time to master it.
I'm also glad that the lighter, and hopefully soon, warmer days and nights are back again. It's things like that and being able to spend quality time with Nicole that make things worthwhile.
Hope I can bring you a happer blog for April - until then, I'll leave you with this group shot of my "Surf Club" comic cast, to remind you of warmer days to come.
28/02/2017
February 2017
Well, this February was definitely not uneventful, I can say that for sure.
You already know my thoughts on the political side of things, as I discussed in last month's blog, so we'll just move swiftly on.
I have a bit of news that I've been hoping to say for quite a while - I finally got a job. The school where my wife Nicole works, they needed someone to help set up the tables, chairs and food for their monthly staff and board meetings, and my name came up, so I agreed to do it. The twist is, it's only twice a month, but I am getting paid for it, and it's experience too. Like any job, I was a little overwhelmed on my first night, but hopefully over time I'll get used to it. Nicole is also helping me out with the job initially, I can't thank her enough.
Obviously, February saw another Valentine's Day come around - in the past, it hasn't really been that much of a special day for me, but of course this year, much like last year, was different, as I got to spend it with my lovely Nicole. Have a guess where we went for our romantic weekend - a certain seaside town in Rhode Island that I keep mentioning a lot - and needless to say we had a great time.
That's not all though - on February 20, we celebrated a very special milestone, the anniversary of our marriage, I can't believe that it's already been a year. It's been quite a transition, getting used to married life and all the responsibilites it brings, but it's also already provided lots of memories too. We marked the anniversary by revisiting some of the places that we visited on our wedding day, most notably Branford Point, where we got married in front of our family and friends. I certainly won't forget the sight of Nicole walking up the hill in her wedding dress.
Last but not least, on the artwork front, I've recently made some changes, that I mentioned about making in my last blog - my good DeviantArt friends Granitoons and TopperHay directed me to a website called Tapastic, which is a place for hosting webcomics, with the added incentive of possibly making money from ad revenue. I've taken the plunge, and from now on I will be hosting my comics there instead of DeviantArt. Don't worry though, as I said before, I'm not leaving DeviantArt, I will post links to the comics there, as well as my non-comic art as always.
That's not all - back in December, I started writing a script for the first in what will hopefully be a series of comics for my dragon characters Fyfe & Sparkplug. I finished writing the script this month, and I have started illustrating it. It will be quite an undertaking, but I really want to make it happen.
That's that for February - as always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a special sketch to mark me and Nicole's wedding anniversary. Peace out, and remember, show your significant other your love and respect every day, not just Valentine's Day.
P.S. Check out my Tapastic page here: https://tapastic.com/BluebottleFlyer
Check out Granitoons and TopperHay's Tapastic page: https://tapastic.com/HRAM
You already know my thoughts on the political side of things, as I discussed in last month's blog, so we'll just move swiftly on.
I have a bit of news that I've been hoping to say for quite a while - I finally got a job. The school where my wife Nicole works, they needed someone to help set up the tables, chairs and food for their monthly staff and board meetings, and my name came up, so I agreed to do it. The twist is, it's only twice a month, but I am getting paid for it, and it's experience too. Like any job, I was a little overwhelmed on my first night, but hopefully over time I'll get used to it. Nicole is also helping me out with the job initially, I can't thank her enough.
Obviously, February saw another Valentine's Day come around - in the past, it hasn't really been that much of a special day for me, but of course this year, much like last year, was different, as I got to spend it with my lovely Nicole. Have a guess where we went for our romantic weekend - a certain seaside town in Rhode Island that I keep mentioning a lot - and needless to say we had a great time.
That's not all though - on February 20, we celebrated a very special milestone, the anniversary of our marriage, I can't believe that it's already been a year. It's been quite a transition, getting used to married life and all the responsibilites it brings, but it's also already provided lots of memories too. We marked the anniversary by revisiting some of the places that we visited on our wedding day, most notably Branford Point, where we got married in front of our family and friends. I certainly won't forget the sight of Nicole walking up the hill in her wedding dress.
Last but not least, on the artwork front, I've recently made some changes, that I mentioned about making in my last blog - my good DeviantArt friends Granitoons and TopperHay directed me to a website called Tapastic, which is a place for hosting webcomics, with the added incentive of possibly making money from ad revenue. I've taken the plunge, and from now on I will be hosting my comics there instead of DeviantArt. Don't worry though, as I said before, I'm not leaving DeviantArt, I will post links to the comics there, as well as my non-comic art as always.
That's not all - back in December, I started writing a script for the first in what will hopefully be a series of comics for my dragon characters Fyfe & Sparkplug. I finished writing the script this month, and I have started illustrating it. It will be quite an undertaking, but I really want to make it happen.
That's that for February - as always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a special sketch to mark me and Nicole's wedding anniversary. Peace out, and remember, show your significant other your love and respect every day, not just Valentine's Day.
P.S. Check out my Tapastic page here: https://tapastic.com/BluebottleFlyer
Check out Granitoons and TopperHay's Tapastic page: https://tapastic.com/HRAM
31/01/2017
January 2017
One month of 2017 down, 11 to go, and it's been off to a very mixed start.
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first - I'm sure that most people who are reading this will be aware of what's been happening in the news, especially in the last week of this month. I'm not going to dwell on it, but I will say that as a legal immigrant myself, it really hits home, and what is happening is really disturbing.
There was something else happened this month that was, well, words can't describe it. Again, I'm not going to go into details about it, but my brother found himself in a very dark place, and almost made an unthinkable choice - thankfully, he didn't make that choice, and I'm just beyond relieved that he's safe and sound now. This is something that no-one should have to go through, because as much as life can test us sometimes, taking that unthinkable choice is never the answer.
There was some light in this month though - there was some great news for my lovely wife Nicole's family on the jobs front, her dad is now back in full-time employment, and our close family friend has also landed a new chemist job, and Nicole's mam will also be starting there too. They've had a rough time over the last few months, so it's great that things are now picking up for them. Now if only I could get a job, then we'd be all sorted.
I celebrated surviving another year on January 7, my mind's boggled that I've been on this mortal coil for 31 years now. It snowed heavy that day, but me and Nicole still made the most of it with a nice low-key stay-in day. The in-laws also took us to see an ice show the following day, which was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes. :)
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first - I'm sure that most people who are reading this will be aware of what's been happening in the news, especially in the last week of this month. I'm not going to dwell on it, but I will say that as a legal immigrant myself, it really hits home, and what is happening is really disturbing.
There was something else happened this month that was, well, words can't describe it. Again, I'm not going to go into details about it, but my brother found himself in a very dark place, and almost made an unthinkable choice - thankfully, he didn't make that choice, and I'm just beyond relieved that he's safe and sound now. This is something that no-one should have to go through, because as much as life can test us sometimes, taking that unthinkable choice is never the answer.
There was some light in this month though - there was some great news for my lovely wife Nicole's family on the jobs front, her dad is now back in full-time employment, and our close family friend has also landed a new chemist job, and Nicole's mam will also be starting there too. They've had a rough time over the last few months, so it's great that things are now picking up for them. Now if only I could get a job, then we'd be all sorted.
I celebrated surviving another year on January 7, my mind's boggled that I've been on this mortal coil for 31 years now. It snowed heavy that day, but me and Nicole still made the most of it with a nice low-key stay-in day. The in-laws also took us to see an ice show the following day, which was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes. :)
I find getting older to be a strange sensation - I feel older, yet I also feel like I'm not. I'm sure it's different for everyone, but that's how it feels for me. I guess it's what you do with the time you have that matters.
On the artwork front, me and my wife had a discussion about that - I really want to be able to actually publish some of my work, to the point where I'm considering a couple of changes:
1) Going back to some of my older short comics and re-doing them, then compiling them in a book;
2) No longer posting feature-length comics to DeviantArt, only publishing them.
Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of ever leaving DeviantArt, I still want to post artwork there, and I still want you all to see my comics and longer story comics, but someday I really do want to try and make a living out of what I enjoy doing.
I'll leave you with this piece to mark Chinese New Year. With all that's happened this month, I really can only wonder what February will bring, though I can say there will be a very important milestone coming up.
Peace out.
On the artwork front, me and my wife had a discussion about that - I really want to be able to actually publish some of my work, to the point where I'm considering a couple of changes:
1) Going back to some of my older short comics and re-doing them, then compiling them in a book;
2) No longer posting feature-length comics to DeviantArt, only publishing them.
Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of ever leaving DeviantArt, I still want to post artwork there, and I still want you all to see my comics and longer story comics, but someday I really do want to try and make a living out of what I enjoy doing.
I'll leave you with this piece to mark Chinese New Year. With all that's happened this month, I really can only wonder what February will bring, though I can say there will be a very important milestone coming up.
Peace out.
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