11 Years of Love and Loss

A very bittersweet day indeed.

It happened on a Tuesday, in fact. The day started out like any other but ended in a way none of us could have foreseen. 

In some ways, we're okay now. In other ways, we're feeling that big void in our family as keenly as ever and wondering what life would be like if Dad were still here.

Lizzie Dancing

Had the privilege of seeing my niece Lizzie perform at halftime at her school’s basketball game. Believe it or not, she's attending junior high (Fairfield Junior High) and she's already halfway there. Man, she's growing up so fast. And she's really passionate about dancing, so good for her.

Mom couldn't come because she had to take Corie to work, and Corie was pretty bummed out about having to work today. But there was no reason why the boys and I couldn't come for moral support. We weren't really doing anything else anyhow, and Christine and I both made sure to take plenty of pictures.

And holy cow, to actually set foot in a school again, to feel like a kid once more…where do the years go?

 

FanX - Two Years Later

It's hard to believe that this time, exactly two years ago, I was in Salt Lake City with my own little art booth at FanX, the biggest art convention in this area.

 

This was an enormous step I'd never taken before. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I made a pretty bad investment due to poor planning and woeful overestimation, and I'm still feeling the financial sting today. Barely earned back a fraction of what I spent. Of course, I was on my own and I might have fared better if I had someone to help me, so I definitely learned the value of outside help.

 

It was also very lonely. Nearly every other vendor I saw had someone with them, whether it was a friend, a spouse, or some other family member. I couldn't even play with my phone because I didn't have proper access to the Wi-Fi and I had to save the battery for a call home later. So, for the most part, I just sat there and looked around. At least I had access to a chair; all the guests had to stay on their feet the whole time, unless they could get comfortable on the floor.

 

I also got a few pictures with celebrities, even though it was a five-second meeting at best. Wait in line, say hi, snap a picture, and then move along. Which I guess makes sense, since these celebrities don't have all day to chitchat with each individual.

 

This year, I couldn't go if I wanted to and I can't say I particularly want to. While I can see the appeal of the place, it literally costs an arm and a leg, hence why I dubbed this place "a wallet-eater." At least the costumes were very interesting; its amazing how creative some of those people get and how far to town they go.

 

Whether I ever do something like this again, only time will tell. And if nothing else, I learned a few things from this experience. I'm still proud of the artwork itself and I'm proud of myself for being bold enough to undertake such an endeavor. Just wish I was a bit more business-savvy and I could have really used some extra company.