Reclusive, But Productive And Positive

I find that in my life there are times I tend to be somewhat reclusive. There are a number of reasons for this. One reason is that I am physically in pain or I may have issues medically. Another reason is that I depend on others to drive me places. I may be working on an art project that requires my time. Other times there may be family stuff planned. Sometimes it's all of the above. Needless to say, life requires time. The questions I often ask myself in times of reclusion are: Am I being productive? Is this productivity positive?

Lately, I've been working on finishing a stippling project I started almost a year ago. I am happy to report that I was able to finish it. As I've said in the past, I love comic book characters, so I decided to draw Iron Man. Here is the result of my work.

Pity Me Not!

In my life I have come to the realization that I can't stand pity parties. I feel that they can be the end of our character. First of all, our times of hardship can shape and mold us into stronger people if we choose to allow it to. Sometimes it's hard for me to admit it, but I am thankful that God made me the way I am and the experiences He has allowed me to have. I also am thankful that He has blessed me with parents that wouldn't let me feel sorry for myself. Thank you Dad and Mom.

Bucket List... Check!

You've most likely gathered from reading my blog that my life expectancy is shorter compared to the next person. Now this doesn't change the truth that we all will eventually die, but it has shown me that life should be experienced to the fullest extent. The first part is my relationship with Christ. The second part means having an attitude of acceptance of my situation and doing my best to maintain a positive outlook. Thirdly, this means that I want to do as many fun things as possible before I "kick the bucket" or at least run it over with my wheelchair. Lol. So, I have compiled a bucket-list. One of them was to go for a ride on a motorcycle.

Van Closet

So you've seen the van restoration project. Well, my dad and I had a parts van left over from the project that we were trying to figure what to do with. After some brainstorming, we came up with two ideas: a mini trailer or a closet. We figured the closet was the easier of the two. Yea right. Sometimes words just can't describe, so... Well... here it is.

ABC Art Is A Success!

When I first started my animal alphabet project, I had no idea how the drawings would be received. To my surprise, there has been such a huge abundance of support from family, friends and even people that I haven't even met. There has also been some great advice on how I might improve them. I would like to thank those whom I have described for being so amazing. My art would not be as much of a success without you. Thank you for what you have done and continue to do.

Hot, Hot Hot August Nights

I'm back in Oregon after 3 days of Reno, Nevada's Hot August Nights. 'Hot' is probably the best adjective to use for the event. We arrived at our motel, unloaded the '64 Chevy Van from the trailer and all our gear. Called up my buddy Collin to let him know the fun had arrived, picked him up and went cruising in the "Vanimal." 

The next morning we headed to the swap meet. Aah, what a beautiful place, 5filled with vintage, rustic treasures. My mother and sister would feel right at home. We decided that we'd had enough of the swap meet and chose our default boredom filler: Cruising. We stopped at a few car shows at some big hotels / casinos and before we knew it 7 o' clock rolled around. Now it was time to cruise the registrated-only specified cruise in which they close off one block for people to show off their sweet rides. 

Our last day was similar to the day before with one exception. Chevrolet had a small test track in which people could actually drive a new Camaro or Corvette. They also had professional drivers who would take you on an exhilarating 30-40 second race around the track. After some convincing, my dad got me to agree to go for a ride. There was a big line because it was free, but the people with Chevrolet were so great. They put me right a the front of the line! Sometimes words just aren't enough to describe something, so here's the link to the video of my ride:

http://social-gen.com/barrettjackson/index.php?e=24&s=3&id=9395

Fun, fun, fun.

I don't know if it's the elevation or the heat that makes it more difficult to breath, but I will say that I am thankful to have my ventilator to help with my breathing. I find that every year I go seems a little more difficult for me physically in one way or another. For a young man in my physical condition I make do with what I have. I may not feel the best, but one thing that will never change is my drive to keep going in life. People often ask me how I maintain my attitude in life. My answer consists of three main things: How I was raised, my personality and most importantly because God has blessed me with each breath I get. 

Hot August Nights Prep.

My dad and I are getting ready for our annual trip to Reno, Nevada for Hot August Nights. Imagine the largest car show you can think of and that will sum up H.A.N. In one of my earlier posts I described my custom 1964 Chevy Van. We will be towing it down to Reno to cruise around town. Something about cruising, with the music blaring,  and seeing the reaction of people as we drive by brings a smile to my face. I will be spending time with one of my best friends, who actually helped work on the van. He hasn't experienced Hot August Nights yet, so it'll be fun showing him around. I will try to post some of our experiences over the course of the trip. Reno! Here we come!