Robot Travels

Once upon a time there was a tiny robot. He wasn't the strongest robot or the fastest, just a little guy that liked to travel.

 

So, he went on a trip.

 He went to a gallery and saw some hungry frogs.

 

He rode on the back of a flying pig!

 

He took in some sights in Newnan on the back of a horse.

 

He met a very nice girl! They high fived each other!

 She showed him a palm tree.

 They stopped for some water.

She got the water from some kids.

 And finally the robot was home! And he was very happy!

Dreaming of Alabama, driving on a dirt road, having a picnic

I dream of 1 day being away in a place, far, far, well not so far away, just across the river and in a different time, ok, just a hour earlier. 1 day, one day I dream of a far better life. I hope and dream. I see rusted cars and trucks, empty bath tubs, pine trees, and chickens. I pass slowly by the house that was once a home, a family gone but not forgotten by the house, it's lonely. 

I, on the other hand am not. I dream of tomorrow, I dream of Alabama. I dream of a new tomorrow.

And gardens to come, and gardens to come!

The Summer and the Flying Menagerie

Bot Dog

Summer, cicada, dragonflies, crows, yellow jackets, and butterflies, they come and they hang out with me. The crows I think are laughing at my jokes, or maybe just the comedy of me stumbling around extension cords and metal piled up here, there, and everywhere.

The cicadas come and visit me in my studio at night, landing on my arm. Why? Then 1 lands on my table. I don't want to burn the small noisy creature, I move it outside, it flies back into the studio. Again I move it outside, this time it stays. :-)

The butterflies come out, flitter and flutter around me while I weed the garden stopping occasionally to alight on a flower. I remember one of the first big words my daughter said clearly, butterfly. She's fascinated by them, so am I. I will always have that connection to butterflies.

The crows, walking around the grass looking for something to eat, they watch me, they are making sure that I stay on the right path and don't look back at the failures. Forward and positively they are keeping me focused on what's ahead.

Ahh, the yellow jackets, I do not like you. Twice this summer I've been defeated by stumbling onto your home. So, so sorry. But land on my lip and I will defeat you.

The dragonflies come around and visit me at my studio, they make me happy! The way that they fly is incredible! I'm jealous of that ability. Yesterday they came to visit me while I was at a friends pool. She must not have seen them. She seemed sad. If she saw them I think, maybe, just maybe that might have made her day. Maybe tomorrow.

We did see the clouds, heavy and light gray in the sky. Why did they have a dark outline? Much like a child's drawing that outlines everything in black, it was not the way one usually sees clouds.

I've been working a lot in the studio, that is good!

Random thoughts on a cloudy day with a beautiful Sunset

http://www.etsy.com/listing/104777071/the-holey-and-smashed-pig-metal-art

So, I've been thinking about pink a lot lately. Maybe because of all the pigs that I've been making. The one above got smashed with a few holes in it. Pink, I remember when I lived in the lakewood neighborhood in the city of Atlanta, my neighbor across the street who was 85 at the time would mow her lawn with her pink sweat shirt, sweat pants, and a large pink bow in her hair, she and her husband had lived there since 1955. I used to change light bulbs for her because she didn't like to climb the ladder, one day she said, "Come see my kitchen I had it painted!" Oh, yes she did, pepto bismal pink or about the shade of the pig above. Wow it was a sensory gut punch to your eyes! She loved it and she loved pink!

At my last house neighbors would ask me were I lived and I would tell them the purple house, followed by, "Next to the pink house!?" Yes, was my response, it was a brighter pink but they toned it down a bit. The ladies in the pink house were awesome neighbors, but they moved and so did I. They had painted a few rooms in the house pink also. Once I asked if the welding and metal work that I did in the backyard bothered them and my neighbor said "My house is pink, I don't have room to complain." Awesome! We got along well.

And finally tonight I went back to the Sunset Mustang Ranch Studio to finish up some pigs. Through the gray clouds an arc of pink fluffy clouds broke through! I get these amazing sunsets at my studio space, strange looking out at a transmission shop and a bunch of cars parked around there that there is almost always a glorious sunset from the courtyard next to the dirt track mustang by my studio.

Some of the pig near the studio

Blue Chairs in a Grey World

I don't know

I wear my heart upon my sleeve, my emotions out for all to see, it's a big deal! I take it personally when you destroy me. I want to stop the pain right now, it's a big deal! I felt so close to you somehow, but it's all over right now. One day I'll move on and it'll be a big deal, I hope til then I won't fall down. 

Sometimes things go really well. Sometimes despite your every feeling that you know things are going to work out, they don't. It's not your fault, it just feels like it. I thought we would be together, now I feel used, thrown out, and my emotions dismissed and it feels irrelevant to me somehow. 

I hope that tomorrow I feel better, some way, some how, some time.

Flying pigs and 1 non flying pig

Not much lately

A church in Carrollton, GA taken at twilight. Not much going on with me, it's summer, it's cooled off and looks like June isn't going to be as hot as May was, that's a relief. I've got a lot of projects going in my studio but I've been spending a lot of time with family lately so not many pictures to post. 

I took photos of my nephew at this church before his prom, there was a group of kids and a bigger group of parents! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101429790/66-ford-galaxie-hubcap-wall-clock

1966 Ford Galaxie Hubcap Clock

A little about Today

Today has been another frustrating day. My car is still in the shop, undiagnosed. I do have access to another car but hate to ask to use it. I am a burden on my parents. I have been unable to find any steady employment. Why? I'm not really sure. College degree? Check, Georgia Tech. Experience? Check, lots of different experience. Willingness to do almost anything? Check.

I was hoping to get a job with an organization that I have been volunteering with for over a year now. There is a position that is open, I'm qualified, have done the work while volunteering, and want and need the job. I have been recommended by current employees of said organization. What have I done for this organization as a volunteer? Good question. I've repaired several pieces of metal furniture welding things back together. I've also fixed many other pieces of furniture, re-upholstered a lot of dining chairs so that they have sold, found out many of the items that are donated were/are worth a lot more than they knew, hello antique and design knowledge, assisted countless numbers of customers, researched many items to find prices, and probably some other things. I will hit the ground running and won't need training for the job, I've had it.Today I find out I still have to apply through a temp agency, did, go to the temp agency so that they can meet me before sending me to the organization that I have been with for over 1 year volunteering. Does this make sense to anyone? It's confusing the everliving, complete, and utter crap out of me. So, I have to go to a temp agency to be approved for a job with people that I've know for almost 1 and a half years? Yes, I am super frustrated. I'm sorry temp agency, I knew about the job before you all did, I know the manager, but yet I'll probably have to accept a lower pay for the first few months so that you all get paid?(If I do get the job) What exactly are you guys doing for me? A background check and a drug test. Do I have to study for that? I have a really boring background, except for that time in Alabama in the El Dorado convertible on the way to spring break in Destin, oh wait nothing happened.

I'm a smart individual, the smartest? Nope, I definitely know that, I screw up, I make mistakes, and I don't know everything, a lot, yes. But not everything, far from it. So, what do I know?
Gardening
Welding
Art
Information Technology
Design
Architecture
Energy Efficiency
Automotive repair basic
woodworking skills
carpentry
painting
baking
cooking
laundry

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/cto/2959597836.html

massage
cleaning
childcare
household repairs
animal care
Probably a lot more things that I do know that I don't even think about(not that I think that highly of myself, I unfortunately don't). I don't know how to fix a lot of things as evidenced by my car being in the shop. I do keep my old 64 Ford truck running on my own, except for the clutch, no thanks I wasn't going to do that job. I do what needs to be done and yet still I am broke, in debt, have no prospects, and I am at this time depressed about all of it. I've been lucky to have a very loving family that has helped and supported me through this time.

I work part time gardening for a neighbor, do handyman work for several people part time, take classes to be a master gardener, run my art business on etsy, metalartdude.etsy.com, have several galleries with my art work, work at 1 of the galleries part time, volunteer at 2 different places, contribute artwork to charities, sometimes help out my friend at her school(doing artsy things), help out my sister with her kids as much as possible, help around the house, and maintain and plant 2 gardens for family. I know a lot of people that do more. I'm not saying I work more than anyone at all.

Am I a lazy slacker? I don't want to be rich and famous, I would however like to pay my bills, have a place to live, food to eat, and some beer to drink. I can't even do that right now however and I feel like a loser in spite of it all.

And then I think do I want to work for an organization that can't just say "Hey, Joel, go to this temp agency and fill out the application, it's a formality, we want you for the position but we have to do this because of the rules of our organization." At one time I did, now, I'm not so sure.