kirabug’s idea files

Woof.

Now that tax season is done (for everyone except six lunatic states that are ending it today), there’s the gradual slowdown at work, and a chance to breathe. Less overtime means more comic. Got one up on time today - and a fairly lame-duck one up for Saturday. (You’ll either love it or hate it. Probably hate it. I think it’s hilarious.) Scripts are starting to flow inside my pathetic brain as well. It’d be nice to build a buffer again.

Still have some knitting to finish — and fast — but I’m trying to limit my knitting to during the Phillies games, since I won’t be drawing comics during that timeframe anyway.

Of course, catching up on my sleep and eating healthy and all that play a role in the grand scheme of things too, so I’m starting to do all that again.

News: all JessieDog’s blood work came out normal, so for now we’re going with a diagnosis of “old dog”. I can live with that. Little runt better not wake me at 7 am tomorrow because she’s thirsty and can’t open the bedroom door though.

Speaking of sleep, I’m off to do just that.

We’re lacking comics, sorely.

Fortunately, there are so few people reading this thing anyway, that I haven’t heard any complaints. You’re welcome to complain if you’d like. It won’t get you far, but it’s nice to hear another voice in the wilderness.

Nighthawk’s been diagnosed with diabetes, which was a bit more than either of us were ready to handle. It’s led to a bit more silence on the ‘net than I usually exercise. Some days a person just doesn’t feel like reading half the internet and commenting on it. I prefer to do my worrying in private and wait until I have something concrete to report before worrying everyone else.

It’s also led to doctor’s appointments, researching, asking around, gathering information, and most of all being there for each other — all of which takes precious time.

In addition, it’s tax season, which means almost nothing to you if you don’t work in the financial industry. But where I work, tax season is the functional equivalent of the Christmas shopping season for retail, with tax weekend playing the role of Black Friday. The metaphor is especially fitting this year because Easter and Passover are layered on top of April 15th (17th this year) and that means work, work, and more work. So interspersed among the medical appointments and research and general freakiness have been tickets and calls and overtime, and more overtime, and oh, some overtime.

Case in point: our department was open today, from 8 to 7, despite the fact that it’s a company holiday. I’ll be a member of the skeleton staff working tomorrow as well. (Had I known about the health circus, I wouldn’t have volunteered months ago, but alas, my crystal ball is still waiting to be RMA‘d back to the manufacturer.)

Speaking of hardware returns, did I mention that the file server has been nothing but one big technical glitch for close to a month? Fortunately, I don’t use it to produce the comic or the blog. Unfortunately, it is where I run all my backups, and where I pay all the bills, so life is interesting, as usual.

But at least the dog’s healthy, right? Well, no. She was shipped to the vet for day camp today while I worked because she’s sleeping a lot. A whole lot. Like when we came home on Wednesday at noon she didn’t bother coming downstairs to greet us until 7 pm. And any time I have to ask my husband to go find out if the dog has died twice in one day, it’s time to worry. The x-rays of her lungs and heart came back clean so now we’re waiting on the blood test results to determine if she’s sick or just really old and really lazy.

Oh, and I still have that knitting project to finish.

There are rays of sunshine throughout all of this, mind. The hardware repairs have prompted some upgrades. The diabetes explains a lot, and means Nighthawk will feel better than ever once it’s treated. Seven hours of overtime tomorrow mean I get to work in relative peace and quiet. Tax season is almost over. I get to dye eggs tomorrow. The Phillies look like they’re going to win 3 in a row after sucking like a giant Electrolux when the season began. And when it’s all said and done, I should have a chance to just sit back and relax.

• Work is Under Construction, and has been Loud. Life from 5pm on is a headache in progress.
• The server upgrade to allow the play of Oblivion went badly. Graphics cards are being RMA’d, fingers are being crossed, RAM chips are being priced.
• The “service engine soon” light came on in Fluffy this evening, so we dropped her off at the local garage to find out what’s what. That means that instead of working 10:30am to 7pm, it looks like I’m carpooling in with the husband in the morning and working 7am to 7pm until I at least know what’s wrong.
• The Internet’s been up and down like a jackrabbit on a pogo stick. I think it’s actually our router acting up and could be related to the problems with the server but no guarantees. I wanted to do some scouting for some reference pics for Tuesday’s comic but alas, no freakin’ internet.
• More of the same tomorrow; do not be shocked by continuing radio silence.

Today I learned:

• When you describe your symptoms to your OB-GYN’s office and they say, “Oh, we want to see you right away!” they really mean, “Unless you changed insurance recently and we don’t take your new stuff. Then you can kiss off. Or pay out-of-pocket. Your choice.”
• Cheddar cheese ramen is very hot and very filling, but won’t be enough food to get you from 12:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Two cans of coca cola and a reece’s fast break are also required.
• HP computers boot too damn fast for you to spot the “press this for boot list” key if you don’t know where to look on the screen.
  • It’s worse if your co-worker is yelling to press “delete” because that’s what his computer at home uses but the ones at work use f-9.
  • PC users are used to this kind of bios crap. Mac users hold down the C key when they want to boot from CD. We’re spoiled.
• Even though the PS2 port for keyboard and mouse are the same shape, PCs get really pissy when you get the two plugs confused.
• Even I can install Windows XP.
• When you call your boss at 9:30 at night, he doesn’t expect you to tell him that you’re just now leaving work, especially if your shift was supposed to end at 7.
• The steak sandwich place closes at 10. Domino’s does not.
• Sometimes Friday can feel like a week unto itself.

So I finally threw out the script that wasn’t working for me in the strip that was supposed to be Tuesday’s, and wrote a new script and started over. I’m currently making good progress on that one, but I’ve also got to put together my comics for the hobby expo on Thursday for work. Anyway, there’s already a slightly-off-topic comic in the queue for Saturday if I don’t get this other one done, and if I do, well, Saturday’s current comic will become a Friday bonus comic and today’s will become Saturday’s and I’ll start panicking for Tuesday all over again. Ah, to rebuild the buffer.

At least I’m getting ideas again.

Tonight, I worked on the comic while listening to the Blank Label Comic Podcast which you’ve probably heard of if you’re a webcomic geek like I am, but for the rest of you, it’s a podcast hosted by two members of Blank Label Comics and features interviews with other webcomic authors and artists once a week. I’m currently way behind - just finished Podcast #8 from October (now I get what all the freakin’ drama was about) but drama flare-ups or no, I think it’s really valuable to get an insight into comic creators and their similarities and differences. So if you too are a webcomic geek you might like it.

Meanwhile, I was in Photoshop training for the past two days and have picked up many a tip plus a big nifty book. I promised myself I’d go to bed by 12:30 this morning because I’m giving blood at work today and I think it’s important not to go to work exhausted when you know you’re going to be literally drained by the end of the day but if I get a second I’ll upload one of the really nifty things I did.

Otherwise, all else is good. Hope you’re the same.

I’m involved in a hobby expo at work this week - everyone brings in demonstrations of their hobby and displays them for people, and I’ve been asked to bring in some of my comics. Which of the comics are your favorites? Please post links in this thread of the forum (no registration required) and let me know! I need at least 10 to take with me so feedback is appreciated.

It’s 9:00 and I’m in the middle of doing some relatively important stuff for work. whee. tax season. yay. anyway - no guarantees comic will be on time.