I took a short break from animating to focus on some other things that I’m just as passionate about. I mean, I try to get in some animation everyday if I can, even if it’s only five or fifteen or thirty-three minutes of work. But, I just had to take a break. This past summer I took a nice one week vacation to this beautiful and mostly secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. I can’t tell you where it is exactly because then too many people might start going there and it wouldn’t be secluded anymore and it would lose its peacefulness. While I was at the beach I did my damndest to stay away from my computer for the entire week. I barely even spent any time near my cellphone unless it was important. Though, I must admit that I did play the occasional game of Tetris on my phone, but that was typically only while taking my morning poop or evening poop. (That’s what I get for having a steady diet of coffee in the morning and wine in the evening.) I won’t go into great detail about the pooping, but while I’m doing the number two that every being in the universe has to do, I like to take my time and read a book or play Tetris or write or draw or think. I get some of my best thinking done while taking a shit; out with the bad, in with the good. And I don’t typically play games on the toilet but sometimes I just get in the mood to play Tetris…it’s a classic and timeless game. I also read Candide by Voltaire while taking care of business. Though, I do remember finishing Candide while I was sitting on the back porch, and just as I set the book down a deer walked nearby. I broke some pieces off of the apple that I was eating and shared some with him. He let me pet him as I fed him some delicious red. They really are very beautiful and gentle and agile creatures. Anyway, when I’m at the beach I try to stay away from electronic devices and just be in the moment with my family and friends and just enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds. It was a wonderful and well needed vacation away from the real world. I spent a lot of time at the beach and kayaking the rivers in the island and kayaking down the coast. Kayaking the ocean is brutal, but it's an absolute blast. I passed a boat that had capsized and was floating and bobbing and waiting for a tow. I also got stung by a goddamn jelly fish. Someday I'm going to be the first man to discover the peanut butter fish and I'm gonna' have myself a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich. I also got to spend a day down in Savannah, Georgia. It was a nice sunny day and I just spent most of the time walking around and saying hello to people and enjoying the street music and checking out the shops and tasting the food. There was an art festival happening on River Street. I’d look to my right and see all kinds of different art created by all kinds of different artists who were from all over the world, then…I’d look to my left and see the giant ships rolling in on the beautiful Savannah River. I met a lovely and beautiful and talented woman who makes and sells her own jewelry. She’s based out of Asheville, NC, which is one of my favorite cities in America. I have nothing but many fond memories of Asheville and I spend a lot of time there, and it’s really a second home for me. I spend a lot of time there going to rock shows and playing gigs myself. I also spend a lot of time there riding mountain bike trails. Asheville is beautiful any time of year, but it’s in its best moments during the summer and fall, and the town really comes alive on New Year’s. If you want some place to have some fun on New Year’s then go to Asheville, NC, and if you want some place to have some fun on Saint Paddy’s Day then go to Savannah, GA. They’re both two of my favorite cities in America and there is so much beautiful architecture and rich history and yet there is still plenty of nature around. They’re both riddled with wonderful restaurants and unique bars and they’ve both got a great music scene, no matter what style of music you’re into. And, if you didn’t know already, a lot of Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah, GA and Beaufort, SC. The famous scene where Forrest is sitting on the bench telling his story was filmed in Chippewa Square in Savannah, GA. And if you don’t like Forrest Gump then it’s likely something is wrong with you…are you stupid or something? It’s undoubtedly one of the most epic American films ever made, and if you’ve never seen it then please go watch it now.

Anyway, I’m back to animating a bit more and I’ve got so many projects that I’m working on. It’s going to take some time but I can’t wait to finish these. I’m still fairly new to animating but it’s something I’ve been fascinated with since I was a kid, and with every project I work on I’m always learning something new. And lately I’ve been spending time working on multiple projects at one time, and not just with animation. I need to sit down and focus on one, but I just keep bursting with ideas and I try to at least start a project while it’s still fresh on my mind. But, the one I’m probably most excited about is High Steaks Poker. There’s a little snapshot below.  And I wanted to enter into the Halloween contests this year but I just didn’t have the time to finish my idea. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and early fall is probably my favorite time of year. I love the cool crisp air, the smells, the colors, the sky; it’s as if the trees put on one final art show before going into hiding for the winter. Fall always brings a new and different type of inspiration than summer. It’s why I want to have a house in the mountains during the fall and winter, and a house at the beach during the summer. Anyway, the Halloween contest sparked a great idea for me. I started on the project, but it’ll have to wait until next year. But, that gives me plenty of time to work on it and put in the detail that I envision. So, until then…cheers to everyone worldwide as we squeeze out the last drops of 2014.