After celebrating the sixth anniversary of Kim & Jason in grand fashion (that's the strip, not the people), I am happy to say that at long last, Annual #4 is nearing completion. The complete collection of the strip's fourth year should be out sometime this fall, definitely before the holidays (hint, hint). The interior layout is complete and is currently undergoing major and rigorous quality control tests. (Which means there will only be a few typos in the finished product.) The title also has been finalized... Tales from a T-Ball Outfield: Kim & Jason Annual #4. It will of course …
Archives for August 2006
Staying in the Wrong Job
Look around you. There's a host of people working in jobs that are, shall we say, less than rewarding. If it were not true, the acronym T.G.I.F. wouldn't exist. Of course the reasons most people give are legion: "I have a family to support"..."We need the benefits"..."This is all I know"..."It's a tough job market, I'm better off staying where I am"..."I've only got a few more years to retirement"..."We couldn't afford a pay cut"..."I'm too young"..."I'm too old"..."I don't know the right people"... and on and on. I argue that although perfectly admirable, these reasons are really more of an …
Summer Checklist
Have you enjoyed the summer? Last January, when you longed for a hot summer day, did you live up to those dreams that you had promised you would do once the weather was nice? This is a friendly service announcement to notify you of a somewhat harsh reality… there are only 6 official weeks left of summer. I know families who have kids going back to school are saying, “Six! I wish…school goes back next week!” Yes, I am sorry about that. In an attempt to fully appreciate the summer, to delight in all of the wonderfulness of summer, I am sharing a list of eight summer activities to squeeze …
Forever Moments
How many "forever moments" have you had recently? The term was used in a recent article by syndicated columnist Debra-Lynn B. Hook. She explained one such moment that occurred while she and her son were on a bike ride: Instead of racing along the trail in a hurry, always rushing to see what's around the bend, we decided to open our senses and our hearts to each curve along the path. "I see shadows on the trail from the sun." "I hear the sound of a lawn mower." …
Charlie Brown and the Free Prize at the Art Museum
Today was a swell day. After much anticipation, Kim and I finally had a chance to head to Milwaukee to check out the Masters of American Comics exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum. It showcased the original artwork of comic legends like E.C. Segar (the creator of Popeye), Chester Gould (creator of Dick Tracy), Jack Kirby (Captain America and The Fantastic Four), and the guy who brought us Charlie Brown, Charles Schulz. If you're a cartoonist, and you go to an exhibit like this, I'm pretty sure you're bound to come away with two distinct thoughts. The first is, "I completely suck." And the …
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In Search For Peace
She’s 39 and a mom of three. Life is busy. Work is challenging. The kids are always on the go. Her husband helps out with household family stuff as much as he can, about as much as she can these days. At the end of the day she is exhausted. She looks forward to the kids going to bed so she can have some peace. Peace doesn’t come easily, though. When she finally sits down on the couch her mind is filled with a list of “to do’s” and demands. She wants to relax. She deserves to relax. It starts with a glass of wine a few nights a week. It’s a small little joy. She soon finds herself drinking a …
This Sums Up Everything
I got this from one of those e-mail forwards (have you heard of them?)... "Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened." Yep. I think this should be the subtitle to this blog. (Thanks to Barb Hinkins!) …
Dictators Get Stressed Too
Fidel Castro says his problems were brought on by stress. I for one have never served in the role of dictator for any small island nations, but I can see how that job -- not to mention maintaining one's position on the list of world's top ten biggest jerks -- might be a bit taxing. I want to help, I really do. I thought about sending him a copy of Escape Adulthood, but ultimately decided it probably wouldn't do much good. Not that the book doesn't have some good things going for it. On the contrary, allow me to shamelessly and oh-so-proudly share a recent review I got the other day from a …
Green Eggs and Crack Cocaine
One of the most interesting facts that I heard while in Orlando at the National Speakers Association convention was that the majority of millionaires in the United States are first generation immigrants. Then, this past weekend, I got into a discussion about how bad the drug problem is in the area where I grew up. I went to high school in a pretty small, sheltered town where alcohol was aplenty and pot wasn't hard to find. These days, heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth are regular acquaintances of a growing number of average, everyday high school students. It's a trend that I know is not …