The past several weeks have been so wonderfully mundane that I feel like I've been transported into a different universe. The several-times-daily calls from guys back in Miramar finally turned into weekly updates, and they're managing just fine.

I've been drawing a lot, sharing a little, and keeping whatever daily schedule I please. Aside from helping my father with things around the house, it's been lazy in a way I haven't lived for years.

I was glad to go to MTAC with sixstop and spend a weekend in a con environment that I really have missed, as well as to have had the opportunity to meet an absolutely fantastic group of tumblr buddies.



With my end of Active Service coming up, I've been getting prepared to start filing for unemployment during my transition period and get my apartment hunt seriously underway. I'm going to plan out a route for my drive up the coast once I buy my plane ticket (I'm leaning toward a flight arriving in San Diego sometime early on June 9th). The only stops I know I'm making for sure are DisneyLand (I want to go to ElecTRONica again!), LA, and San Francisco.

Any recommendations for places to visit on the west coast between San Diego and Seattle would be awesome! I also hope I'll be able to see at least a few of you along the way since I have no idea when the next time I'll be down in that part of the US might be.

After spending nearly fifteen hours stuck in Denver, I made it home Wednesday afternoon and have been readjusting to time zones while just spending time with my family. I'm still getting sporadic phone calls from back in San Diego, which isn't too surprising but I think they'll taper off after another week or so.

It's good to be home.

This time next week, I'll be on a plane heading home. There's no shortage of happenstance that keeps each day rushing by, and I'll be scarce until I get there. Tomorrow is my going-away - my Unit's send-off for me. I don't know what's planned entirely, but there's laser tag somewhere on the schedule (oh man). Thursday I'm packing almost all my belongings up with the moving service that'll ship my stuff up to Seattle.

I'd probably be spending more time with some sort of digital art shenanigans/pchat, but my tablet's dead stylus finally lost the last of its sensitivity and I'm sporting quite a bit of graphite on the heel of my hand instead. Thankfully, the replacement has already arrived at home and considering that it's lasted me a solid 7+ years, it's been a trusty stylus that only needed a few tip changes over the years. I think when the day comes that I actually need to replace my Intuos 2, I'm going to frame the wonderful thing.

I had a little gleefit when I was able to pick up my mail earlier today - this arrived!



THANK YOU reconnoiterer!!! Eagerly counting down the days until the HBO miniseries airs, and I'm so very keenly hoping the readership of this gorgeous book series expands.

ETA: Unfortunately, Disney sniped the video with the TRON 3 Teaser, but if anyone would like to download a copy send me a message and I'll link you accordingly.

After seeing this, I immediately called my parents; once they'd watched it, they rang me back and we had the most incoherently happy and emotional phone conversation I think I've had with them in a long time.

Though work has been cutting into my time rather intensely, I've made a good dent in Dragon Age II and I'm going to reserve final judgment until after the credits are rolling. My party, however, is pretty solidly Anders, Varric, and Aveline with the occasional Isabela. Yesterday, I reached a point that rendered me utterly flushed and incoherent (to keep away from spoilers I'll just qualify: that kiss). Andraste's dimpled asscheeks, BioWare. Nngh.

Fandom continues to keep me smiling through things that I won't let tarnish my spirits. I adore all of you &hearts

I've nearly finished everything I wanted to with this, and for how rapidly it was thrown together I'm relatively satisfied with the outcome. Hopefully, I can share some of the (much better, I think) photos that a friend was kind enough to get earlier this weekend. For now, have a pair of quick (and horrible quality) shots that my buddy snapped with his phone:



I will decapitate Darkspawn with my biceps~

Dragon Age II comes out tomorrow!! It's going to be such a welcome reprieve from all the work that's been keeping me from regular sleeping hours, though thank all things above for fandom keeping me sane.

So this was parked outside the chow hall today. I had to pop a u-turn through the parking lot and take a photo xD (featuring supporting cameo by my Jeep&hearts)

This also seems as good a time as any for this - my life was changed for the better thanks to this.

ETA: Download it! - you know you need this in your life.

I haven't slept in a day and several hours, but I got to play the part of terror troll on DoD networks today. I like to think that more than makes up for my sleep deprivation. Working on Aveline costume on and off mostly during chow breaks - I've gotten fabric and have mostly finished the shirt. Once things get interesting, I'll take some photos.

Now that I've gotten my uniformed business set and organized for the next few months, I can get around to much more nerdy indulgences. The foremost of them is my next costuming project:



( Aveline )

On December 30th, I was one of about 300 mixed servicemembers that performed the flag unfurling ceremony for the Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. It's the world's largest American flag, easily covering the football field. We marched around the stadium prior to the ceremony, carrying our star-spangled anaconda of fabric before going in. ( A few photos after the cut. )

Boo:
-Starbucks delicious crack cocoa sugar sludge hot chocolate kept me from getting any sleep. Still not tired.

-Had a filling done at the dentist today, as my twelve-year-old one was deteriorating.

-While at dental, was hit on by a Corpsman who was not at all unattractive, but my no-uniformed-dating policy is in full effect. Stupid fraternization. The things I (don't) do in keeping with my morals.

-Falcons lost.

Whoa:
-Officially accepted to Art Institute of Seattle. (If I hadn't been off in other countries, I probably would have known this about a month and a half ago. I'll settle.)

Damn it, Starbucks, whatever the fuck you put in my hot chocolate has convinced my body that I need to be running a marathon and killing things. I really should be sleeping.

I just ran around base for 30 minutes and I still feel like going but the gym isn't open yet
WHAT THE HELL WAS IN THAT SHIT

:grumbles, showers, goes and reads porn:

This morning, I ran my Marines on a four-mile route around base. I think we all were just getting twitchy with all of the pent-up energy and no exercise over the last week coupled with happy fat Chrimbo foods. We usually do daily runs or PT of some sort, but it was busy enough that we hadn't done a formation run since I returned.

Thing about formation runs is the cadence - doesn't matter what you're singing, you do it together, like a demented musical snake bellowing your own karaoke party on the side of the road. And it feels good, better than I know how to say, when you're out there and in step with each other.

Freestyle cadence is something easy to get carried away with, and it's damn difficult to laugh while you run and still call-back the right words. My point of pride this morning was working 'assbutt' in, but our crowning achievement was probably making it all the way through the Captain Planet theme song. We got the church crowd into it, running donuts in the parking lot outside the just-released morning service.

Guys, this shit right here is why I love what I do. I wish I had a better way to share it with you. Here's hoping you're all doing well.

Dear internet,

I can't believe this is my life. My hands are shaking, and I don't know what to call this but it's good. Really, really good. Tl;dr for when I get back to San Diego. For now:



Yeah, that's a good description.

I'll be back among San Diegans by mid-December, and I'm not really looking forward to it. Being out in the field with no internet is a price I don't mind when it's doing things I know will make me smile for the rest of my life. The North-South Korea tensions have sadly made my joint training with the Japanese a bit less relaxed, but their attention to the details of what we're teaching them has notably ramped up.

My iPhone has been getting a workout making phone calls and sending a few e-mails while my laptop charges. This is so surreal - I feel like I'm on my own, lonely farewell tour.

JAPAN I AM IN YOU

I've gone through about ten cans of air. (There's a Spaceballs funny someplace in that, but I'm not witty enough to hook it.)

( Have a doodle. )

I'm watching the video from the Acquisitions Incorporated panel from PAX and am still sad I wasn't able to see it in person. NEXT TIME..!!

Oh, and the desert? Still full of sand and too much sun. Yech.

I'm still sorting through photos and getting caught up on a week missed of working, but I can't stop flapping my hands excitedly at this: I'M ON DESTRUCTOID


Starfang looks all glowtacular &hearts