Well, I had a very enjoyable and quiet Christmas again this year. Which was very much appreciated after all the goings on the past couple months. It’s been a crazy few months.

Most of this past weekend Nicki and I spent in our pj’s watching TV, playing with the kitties, or catching up on some much needed rest.

We spent Christmas day over at Nicki’s brother Don and sister-in-law Melanie’s house.

Logan and Logan (Thing1 and Thing2)

Most of Nicki’s family was there including new addition Marshall- he’s a cutie!

Also finally got to meet his sister Brooklyn, who’s also a cutie- like her Aunt Nicki.

The rest of the weekend I played phone/email tag with my family. Looks like we’ll be getting together next weekend.

We braved going to Wal-Mart and Walgreens on Christmas Eve to finish up some last minute shopping. It wasn’t too crazy- I think the rainy weather kept a lot of folks from getting out. There were some crazy-ass drivers that night and Christmas sharing the road with us and it got a bit chilly so staying indoors was a good thing.

We both got a lot of great gifts and enjoyed going through our stockings.

Although Nicki almost got a concussion for Christmas when a present fell over out of her stocking an knocked her in the top of her head!

I think the Darth Vader Build-A-Bear (Darth-Sunshine) helped her feel better.

I know my Adam Hughes Catwoman statue made me happy!

But our best Christmas presents were our new kitties.

Zayne

Jarael

Hope you had a warm and Merry Christmas, too!

Lin

The second part of the interview Wonton and I did with Shawn Pryor and Jon Carroll for The Black Box podcast is now available. We talk more about digital comics, distribution, web comics, Jetta, Bushi Tales, my B/W art show and Comic Whore site.

KOTOR Kitties

Our recently adopted kitties Zayne and Jarael were recently mentioned on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic author John Jackson Miller’s webiste “Faraway Press”. JJM is a former Memphian and is a comics/writer guest each year at Midsouthcon. He’s written for things like the Comics Buyer’s Guide magazine, comics (Star Wars, Iron Man, Indiana Jones), role playing games, and does a web comic called Sword & Sarcasm. If you get the chance to catch one of his panels do, or if you see him running around with his short box of comics at a con stop and pick up a few issues from him. Be sure to tell him Lin and Nicki sent you!

I got the blues for Christmas!

Friday night Nicki and I attended the First Annual Broad Avenue Holiday Art Walk. (That’s a George Hunt original behind us.)

Artist George Hunt had a showing at my day job West Memorials.

George and his wife were on hand (that’s George and me above), as well as several other folks like Greg and Paula Cravens and there sons Gideon and Corey (Paula had a photography show here in October), and Jim and Christina Hall.

We all enjoyed some great art, delicious eats, and some cool blues in the gallery.

Nicki and I walked down the street and checked out a few other participating galleries and studios. It got a bit cold outside so we headed back up the street to my work, talked a bit more with friends, and then headed home.

Had a great time and can’t wait for the next art walk- hopefully it’ll be in the spring.  Until then, I guess this Friday night’s art show at MSCA member Adam Shaw’s studio will have to tide me over. It’ll feature some of Adam’s art as well as others at 2547 Broad Avenue here in Memphis.

Type at ya later,

Lin

This weekend Nicki and I adopted two kitties- “Zayne & Jarael“.

It started off as a quick trip over to the DeSoto County Animal Shelter in Nesbit, MS (662-429-5013) to see about a cat named “Mambo” that Nicki had seen on their website.

When we got there we found out that he had been adopted already, but was still at the shelter. We got to meet him and play with him a bit before going to look at the other kittens.

When we walked in a white cat in the middle of the room first came up to Nicki. She walked back and forth in her cage and would rub up against the front and let Nicki pet her. The cat was a purring machine!

There were some other kittens that were really cute- three grey and white ones from the same litter, but when Nicki would play with them they would try to nibble and bite her fingers. “No biters.” Nicki said. There was a little guy on the top right who was all alone and when I walked in the room he was the one that first tried to get my attention.

Nicki asked me which one I thought she should get and I told her I thought the white one seemed to take to her best (while the whole time I was thinking, “Please pick this little guy!”) , but it was really up to her. Nicki picked the white female cat (who they had named “Charlie”) and started to follow the worker back to the reception area to fill out the adoption papers on her new 4 month old kitty.

I just stood there staring at the little guy and I started to cry. I hated to think of him without a home and still tear up when I think about it.

Nicki asked, “Are you ready to go, Babe?”

I turned around and barely got out, “Can we get him..?”

She asked, “Do you want him instead of the white one?”

“No.” I said.

“Do you want to take them both home?” Nicki asked as I continued to tear up and shook my head “yes”. “I can’t leave him…”, I told her as a couple tears ran down my face and I fought back some sniffles. She said ok and told the lady we’d be adopting two today.

It’s all Mambo’s fault!

The kitties were part of our Christmas to each other. The pet adoption fees were only $25 for each cat, and that included their shots and tests, plus they got a cute blanket to take home- which they love to sleep on.

We loaded their cat-carriers into the back of the Batmobile and took them home to Nicki’s and the future “the Bat-cave” room at her house. They seemed to like their new digs (neither is fond of the vacuum cleaner, though), and we found out both were litter box trained- bonus!

Zayne found a hiding place after his encounter with the vacuum.

They both like to hang out on an arm, shoulder, or up anywhere close to you.

They also seemed to like each other and get along…

…most of the time..!

It took us all weekend to come up with new names for them (I believe Zayne was called “Maxwell” from what I saw on their website). We ran through several name combinations.

Finally we agreed on “Zayne & Jarael“- two of Nicki’s favorite Star Wars characters from “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” comic series written by our friend John Jackson Miller.

I don’t know if they know how lucky they are to be adopted, but I know I feel lucky to have them and Nicki this Christmas. After adopting them I think I’m finally in the Christmas spirit!

Now if I could just find a 9′ outdoor extension cord for the lights..!

I love my kids- daddy will be home soon!

Lin