No art, just happiness.

Today has been such an insanely good day.

Well, comparatively.

Basically, last week my laptop finally went kaput, I spent a lot of money getting some art framed, my car was having trouble (it was using WAY TOO MUCH GAS. Like... Portland to Gorham took an eighth of a tank), and then the electricity bill came in (which we missed last month). So in a manner of DAYS, a bunch of things went wrong in the most expensive way possible.

That was the downslope.

Today, I brought my car in to the shop to see what was wrong with it. I was ready to spend $400+ on a new sensor in my engine or something like that- but they just cleaned my fuel lines for $50, and now she runs just fine. And- AND- when I explained to the guy who was talking me through everything (you know, the whole "this filter needs to be changed every 30,000 miles, this kind of oil makes your car run cleaner," etc.) that I've spent a lot of money and I don't really have any to spare, he stopped trying to up-sell me, he explained the cheaper options for the things I needed, and showed me my filters and said "I mean, it COULD be replaced... but it's really fine. Just change it next time." It was a very different experience than other times I've brought in my car for work to be done.

Bonus: when I got in my car to leave, I noticed they even vacuumed my car and cleaned the outside of the windows. God, JiffyLube in So. Po is AWESOME.

Then, I went by the art gallery to see if any of my art got into the juried show, and pick up any possible rejections. This was my first time submitting to an art show or gallery in general, so I was pretty nervous to see if anything got in. We were only allowed to submit three pieces, and when I dropped them off last Thursday, there was art EVERYWHERE. So my hopes weren't too high, I was just crossing my fingers to get one in, at the very least. And guess what? I GOT TWO PIECES IN!!! Which is, apparently, not normal. Everyone else I've talked to so far only got one in. So I'm feeling pretty fly.

Fly!

I've showed you guys both of the pieces that made it in here in the past. These two: 

This I named "Muse of the Manor" because I can totally see it hanging above a fireplace in a huge creepy mansion.

This one I called "Strange New World," Partially because I was thinking of Brave New World, partially because of the lyric from Fiddler on the Roof "Soon I'll be a stranger in a strange new world."

Aww yiss.

Muse of the Manor I needed the back to be wired so it could hang in the cheap frame I bought. So I brought it over to the painting studio where my favorite Professor Jim Flahaven was teaching his intro to painting class. I asked if he could help me get some screws in the back, and he said "You came to the right part of the galaxy for that kind of job. Just throwin' some firefly lingo your way." And I replied "Shiny."

He said he's teaching an advanced drawing class next semester. I am so excited.

Then I bought new sponges and did all the dishes in the sink, even the ones that weren't mine, so I feel generous.

I'm so happy.

So.

Happy.

Also, Hi Dave, it was nice talking to you today, however briefly. <3