this is it!

Last one! 12 months... some were lame and I even failed at one! I don't recommend doing this... this year flew by and I blame the compartmentalizing (big word). I would have thought my health and state of mind would have improved but it just added to my stress levels. I was going to give up technology this month but I can't... and that's just sad. (work won't allow me) There is so much more I would like to do, volunteer, learn a language, juggle..? but alas the year is over and who gives a shit.

So for my last month I am going to do nothing.
(actually I'm going to try to learn some flash but that's lame) 

Thanks for playing along and keeping up with this, good for you. I am going to keep this page up and use it for art and randomness.
 

i caved

I ate lunch with Russ today... peer pressure. I will keep my dinners at home but this one cut into my social life, what little there was/is. I did lose some weight so there is something to it. December is around the corner and a year of this crap is behind me. December may be the month I do nothing... or maybe disconnect. We'll see.

November

I will not be eating out this month... I am a chronic eater outer so this could be a bad deal. It was pointed out to me recently that I have gotten fat... ahem... so this should help. News at 11.

October

Guitar lessons. yep.

diet coke.

Been a week... don't miss it.
Here are some pics from the sketchbook, 20 pages done, 60ish to go.

Sept 2 things

One hard one and one harder one. This month I will be giving up carbonation. I have done this before, here comes grumpy jeff. I like me some caffeine as well as saccharin, aspartame and sucraloce... yes I know "killing me" I'll just drink tea.

Secondly? I will be keeping a sketchbook on me or near me for the month, gonna do a little trade with my buddy billy in P.A.. I bet I lose it on day one. I'll do my best.

joke.

This month is a wash and a joke... I did so much better with not eating meat. I could run 1000 miles before I could give up this stuff, it is in EVERYTHING! Maraschino cherries... the freaking vitamin I take, it is everywhere.  I did my best and avoided some of it, but when it's in the salad dressing, salsa, ketchup, bread, etc... there is only so much one man can do. Onward and upward, taking suggestions for next month.

Sugar free August

High Fructose Corn Syrup... Gonna do without it. I enjoy reading labels and asking the wait staff silly questions they can't answer. The last few months have been one giant stress ball so I don't need to add something to my life, so I'll take something out. No candy, ugh. I have several art projects out and I will post them when I finish, looks like last month will spill over into this month.

is it august yet.

I lack the motivation to do anything; nevertheless, I am doing a few silly things. The free art fairy is making his last few stops with his silly art buss, so you better get on board. I have been drawing a lot and have ideas for a few big things but my time is consumed and it's to freakin hot. Here are a couple pics of things happening as well as the bounty from my almond tree... majestic. Deer and raccoons ate all my other fruit. sneaky.

maybe

So I have been working, (on art) a little. Working with my friend Lauren on a sculpture and a small painting for a charity auction. I am also designing a few murals for a pediatrician friend. (pics soon) Plans for a low edition print too, if you would like one let me know.

 

art... slow but going.

I am working, when I'm not in the air or on the road or actually working-working. Life gets in the way and is confusing.

1,2,3,4 what do i have this for.

Ok! Not much to report on - I kinda dropped the ball on logging about this month (it was a hectic month). I believe this one was a stretch for me... running 100 miles, not eating meat... all child's play. I like the idea of organization and some things I do are organized but I don't know if I am wired to do it. I get sidetracked. Let's take my iphone, for example. I wanted to "organize it", you know - take all the Leroy B's and Bobs and Stephanopolis' and give them first and last names and assign emails and put pictures with them. Ha. I get 2 numbers in and I think "Hey, I should call Andy Anderson!" (I don't know an Andy Anderson.) The same goes for getting my studio in order... I go down today to work on that (a disaster, by the way) and I start by cleaning out the air-conditioned part (of course) and then I step out on the front porch and start cleaning it down on my hands and knees, pulling weeds and moving gross stuff. Then I notice the ground is wet... huh, that's odd. I move the gravel and more water... next thing I know, I'm covered in mud and am stuck fixing pipes for three hours. The same thing will happen when I do actually get in my studio. I will stop and admire every little piece of metal and wood and screw and tool I touch. I got the OCD. (obsessively compulsively disorganized)

ugh.

I planted a bunch of trees... that was a good one. I still owe a couple of people trees. The fall is a better time to plant trees though, so maybe I will do it again. I will be keeping a shovel in my truck and will keep up the guerrilla forestation (I have been sneaking trees into places I think they should be). School is over this week so my time will be freed up... somewhat. (2 new building projects, ha)

So May... this one is going to have to be an easy one, too. I have lots of traveling and the aforementioned building projects to contend with. May will be about organization. Organizing... my time, my phone, my computers, my studio, my house... my life. Tips are welcome.

erf day

About half way on my 30 trees... I need more hours in the day. I have planted several dogwoods for Dawn at the arboretum. One tree for Stevo (banana magnolia) and have a few other trees poised and ready for the ground. I love me some trees.

I plan on planting a few at the house today to celebrate.
happy earth day!

the root of it.

I have been whirling this month's idea over in my head and have come up with some pretty simple, but fun, guidelines. First, I want to talk about how I have failed to implement previous month's activities into my daily life. Veganism, which was hard, made me feel better; mediation, which I enjoy, was replaced by running - which is meditation while moving; and now, I fear running may fall to the wayside. The strenuous nature of lugging around 240 lbs everyday made it impossible to focus on much else and took a pretty good toll on my feet and legs, nevertheless, I will do my best to retain the run and try to implement meditation as well as cutting back my meat intake. I just finished the book "Born To Run" and it is an eye opener. Apparently, we were born to run.
This month, I anticipate planting and documenting at least 30 trees -  some at my house, some at friends houses and maybe a few guerrilla plantings. Along with trees, I would like to implement a few things around my house to save on energy and water consumption. Maybe even a nice little earth day party to bring it all together. There you have it - a leisure, tree-planting month... if you would like me to plant a tree for you, let me know.

done. 102 miles.

Now that was anticlimactic.
I wouldn't recommend this one. I'm sure I have done irreparable damage to my feet and my longest run was only 6 miles but I ran 29 out of the 31 days. The everyday thing is the bad idea. I won't even go into the messed up metabolism, shin pain or hairless thighs. Don't ask, I am a hairy man.
I started a book Born to Run, it is fantastic. I will spare you my synopsis but it has made me want to keep running and to do it bare feet for 100 miles at a time and with vigor. Running is a primal, amazing thing and I think it's in our DNA. Those of you with knee pain or foot pain or just a case of the lazies - read this book.

Next month is still a mystery, I really need suggestions... it's tomorrow! 

 

50%

I am half way there.
It all is a little silly seeing as there are people running this far and more in a week, hell a day in some cases; nevertheless, I am here and I feel slightly accomplished.
On the down side, my feet hurt and I am grumpy... I wanted to post something fantastic to mark my mid-point, but my cluttered brain will not allow me. I am listening to Bill Bryson's book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, while I run and I recommend it (if you like having panic attacks and want to feel inconsequential). I don't know what's worse - being lost in your own head during a run or being drug on some existentialist mind trip? I take that back -  it's a great book. Even better the second time... especially when a smooth, British voice is reading it to you. 

running is hard.

I have found that I am out of shape. I have a clumsy gate. I lack a pace suitable for an adult male bipedal homo sapien; nevertheless, I trudge on. I have had to run everyday to keep on pace... this hurts. Having said that I recommend this approach to running. Force yourself to run everyday, disregard how terrible it is for you. It gets you through all the aches and pains quickly. I have heard this phrase a 1000 times "running kills my knees", really!!! No shit, it's called exercise... it goes away. I am forcing myself to run everyday, no matter how slow or how terrible I feel. 13 minute miles are the norm so far. I will take a day off when I get it under 12. 

Tendinitis

I will start off on a positive note- spring is in the air.
I have ran 11.27 miles in three days.
My right knee and right ankle feel like they once belonged to Abe Vigota. My left arch might be convex and I hate to look as I feel I may be missing all of my toenails. There is a general feeling of doom as each step leads me to some future orthopedic procedure.
Flashback to the summer of 2007... I'm on this run I have no idea where I had been, running for a good while, soaking in the surroundings. I was lost in the zen of the run, endorphins flooding over me in a euphoric - wonderful - blissful goo. Senses were acute and tuned, primal jeff was ready for anything.

Now look at me. ugh.
88.73 miles to go. All I ask for is 1 more runners high.

Running

I begrudgingly start this one... I will be running 100 miles in 31 days. Just finished the first run, 3.2 miles, kill me. This is a terrible idea, I am a fat, stressed and a bit lazy... this is a terrible idea. I will rant on this when I can feel my lower torso.

terrible idea.