Sunday in the Studio

It's 2 PM and I am finally out in the studio working on my latest couple of paintings. I tried and tried and tried to get out here yesterday - but nope. I LOVE to work out here - but it's a challenge to make the time. When I was finishing my degree - there wasn't a choice. Paint or you don't pass. Now, I have to set my own deadlines and work ethic in the studio.

I am still shooting to apply for my Masters this January. In order to do so, I have to have a "show" of 12-15 cohesive works. As a result, I am noticing that I spend a LOT of time on my work. I think there are about three paintings in each piece. I go over them and over them and add and add and add. I was hoping that I would develop a less "worked" style - but I don't think that's me.

As a kid, I loved Highlights magazine's hidden object drawings. You know, the one where you had to find a frying pan in the tree? (Unless some lame kid in the same doctor's office waiting room didn't circle it first... I digress.) Well, that's kind of like my work. I don't hide objects in there, but story lines.

We'll see what happens. Now I need to get off this computer and get working!

I am a 1/2 cup codependent

Christopher had his lap band surgery almost two weeks ago. (If you want to more about how that works - see his blog link on this site.) Oh my God - I have become such a nag. "Are you chewing your food all the way?" "Did you take your multivitamin?" "Is that a half a cup or 3/4 of a cup?"

CJ's doing great - and goes back to work next week. Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I sent our friend Doug regarding the first few days:

Tuesday 5/20: Seven I.V. attempts before they got the vein. CJ looks like he's been slamming heroin with drinking straws. Operating goes smooth. We have lovely pics of his liver and stomach with new lap band. Nice liver according to the doctor. I wonder where he got it. Spend the night in hospital and watch CJ watch American Idol on pain killers. Suddenly David Archuleta is less annoying to him.

Wed, 5/21: go home (Rob is off all week) CJ sleeps. Drinks broth. Sleeps.

Thurs, 5/22: Rob eats all of CJ's leftover food he can't eat anymore while CJ is sedated. Then, debates getting lap-band, too, if he eats one more thing.

Friday, 5/23: CJ has not moved from the couch in two days except to go to the bathroom. A lot. What goes in - comes out. Very little change in between. CJ starts the get dehydrated.

Sat, 5/24: Repeat Friday 5/23.

Sunday, 5/25: CJ wants to get the hell out of the house. We go to 11 AM AA meeting. CJ sleeps through whole meeting. Decides it's time to go off pain killers.

Monday, 5/26: CJ is now bitchy and wants a steak. He's already lost 12 pounds.

Tuesday, 5/27: Rob comes out from behind the couch (where he eats out-of-sight) and runs to work. CJ tries to go to work and turns around on the way there. Too soon.

Wed, 5/28: CJ is back at home eating bananas and sipping Gatorade to address the dehydration. Now he's hydrated and has a taste for soft foods. It's giddy times when I make him mashed potatoes and canned chicken. You'd think the 1/2 cup he had was Thanksgiving dinner.

Thursday, 5/29: CJ tries work again and has to cut it short. Spirits are high and internal stuff seems to be settling down. Now he's a giant walking bruise with itchy staples. But that will heal.

Sunday = A Back Porch + A Good Book

I love sitting on my back porch. Here's a picture of it over my shoulder (I am taking this picture with my laptop camera.) The yard's still not a lot to look at, but that has to wait until next month before we start the fence. It's my sanctuary. I think I will even work on a painting out here today.

I just finished "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I have never read it before and I can see why it is considered a mandatory read in most schools. I got to the end and wasn't ready to stop. I wanted to continue to hear Scout's grown, adult voice narrate to me. So I actually flipped back to the first chapter and re-read it. I am glad I did. The book comes full circle and I wouldn't have remembered some great details if I wouldn't have re-read the first few paragraphs. If you haven't read it yet - I encourage you to do so. If you have, and it's been a while, I bet you will appreciate it even more a second time through.

42 years and one day later...

Oh that husband of mine. Yesterday was my birthday and he texted EVERYONE we knew to have them wish me a happy 45th birthday. First of all - thanks to everyone who sent messages and called. My phone kept running out of juice because of it ringing all day. I sure am blessed with a lot of good friends.

But, to clarify - I AM 42! NOT 45! Now mind you, I do not have any issues about getting older. Really! I never lie about my age. I think 40+ is great, it seems like life has just begun!

In the spirit of truth in age reporting, Christopher is 44 and will turn 45 on Sept. 26. He was born in 1963. That's not what he'll tell you! He LOVES to lie about his age and say he's older! How twisted is that? He usually adds anywhere from 4 - 6 years. That way, people say, "You look great for your age!" That's my guy... and I was the one who had a previous career in public relations. He missed his calling.

Once again, thanks for all the great birthday wishes. It was especially nice to hear from all of our out-of-town friends that we haven't seen in a while. We miss y'all very much and want to pack you up and bring you to Austin!

It's March 1st and the leaves are coming

I'm convinced that the world would be a better place if we all had back porches. Right now, I am on a slab of potential - but hey, it's my slab and I love it. To my right is a hot cup of press pot coffee and in front of me is Uno in a cage. He's not an outdoor cat, so this is a big field trip for him. He's just sniffing and sniffing and sniffing. I think he's enjoying this just as much as I am.

The birds here are singing like mad. At night, it's crickets and cicadas. I loved California - but it has nothing on this when it comes to sounds.

So the back yard has lots of potential. But that's about it. We do have some nice trees in the middle - I really need to find out what the hell they are before my mother asks. Then there is the ground cover that's coming in. I think it's ground cover. Or maybe it's just really pretty weeds. As you may have figured out by now - I don't know jack about landscaping and gardening. But, I am learning! I have many new books. So far, I have discovered what a thatch rake is and know how to use it. Baby steps.

I just completed a new painting and donated it to a local fundsraiser for an AIDS health care facility. It was going to be based on the song "Night Swimming" by R.E.M. but when I started painting it, is ended-up looking like broad daylight. Here's the artist statement I sent along with it:

"To me, memory is not like a snapshot – it stratifies events into layers of importance and prominence. Precise rendering gives way to drips and washes that erode the images beneath them. It’s my hope that the viewer finds the translucent images similar to an archeological dig – as you dust off one layer, something else is revealed. It’s those fragments of memory that insist upon reemerging that I find so fascinating."

Our kitchen threw-up into the living room

I have entered that manic phase of home organizing. Everything in its place and a place for everything! Christopher just walks into the room and shakes his head at me at this point.

My latest organizing conquest was the kitchen. I decided to take everything out of the kitchen, THEN put it back. Look, that's what the organizing lady on Oprah said - so it must be true.

So, if you ever wondered what our entire kitchen looks like all laid out end-to-end, your wait is over.

Lambda Art Auction

Our Lambda group has an annual art auction fundraiser. The challenge is that everyone who participates gets a similar object. In past years it has been a mirror or a bench. This year, it was a high-heeled shoe. Here's what I came up with.

Which box has my underwear?

I think our boxes of crap multiplied while they were in storage.

We have finally moved into our new house and emptied all three storage units. You cannot move in our two-car garage the boxes are piled so high. And this was the stuff we decided to KEEP! On a positive note – it’s kind of Christmas. I keep opening boxes and saying things like, “Look at this vase! It’s cute!”

It’s been a while since some of these things have seen daylight. Our home for the past three years in California was a major fixer-upper. Nearly the entire time we were there, one could always see a ladder, a bucket of paint and some sheetrock, somewhere. Our new place is so new and clean. I don’t know what to do with myself!

Our AA fellowship in Austin has been great to us. They’ve helped us move – twice! Outside of that, we’ve been hiking, to shows, out to dinner and coffee, hanging out in homes – you name it. We miss our friends in Sacramento, but have to say – we are not lacking for new ones here. It’s made all the difference in the world. The other night we had some of the boys over from the meeting to watch “Die Mommie! Die!” It was fun to have the house filled with laughter and the smell of a coffee pot going full steam. And in the background was the sounds of Miss Daniel and his sewing machine, tailoring gowns for the high-end couture salon he works for. He had this one skirt with real stingray panels in it. This was a $4,200 skirt. Yes, a skirt that costs more than the resale value on my car, I believe. All’s I can say, is for $4,200… that better be the one that killed the Crocodile Hunter!

Right now I am on the bus to work. But this coach is waaaay nicer than the one we took in from our apartment. Now that were out in the burbs, we catch the express bus from the Park-and-Ride. These ones go non-stop to campus and have wi-fi! So I can click away at my laptop on the way in! Although I already have indelible memories of the 1M route we took the past few months. It runs up-and-down the major drag in Austin and you see EVERYTHING on that bus. College kids, certified crazies, professionals and people who are so pierced it looks like they tripped and fell into a fishing tackle box. But that’s Austin for you – they grow weirdos here like weeds. I love it!

Click here to our new house photos.
That is not our furniture in the pics. That’s the previous owners. Right now, we have a lot of acquired chairs from garage sales in the living room to hold us over till we find the right couch. So our living room looks a bit like an airport gate at the moment.

That’s all for now – getting ready to get off the bus.

Oh... one more thing. Our new address is:

12518 Zeller Lane
Austin, TX 78753

Grady's Doing Great

Grady is really coming along. He's been gaining weight - going from 6 lbs. 1 oz. to 6 lbs. 8 oz. already!

Ted, Amy and Ryley are making multiple trips to the hospital every day to go spend time with him. Ryley has a regular routine of going to the hospital and reading Grady a "nite-nite" story.

If you want to see a couple more pics, check out my flicker site.

Welcome to the world, Grady Carrig Rough

On September 13, 2007 the newest addition to the family arrived one month AHEAD of schedule! Amy, my sister-in-law and brother Ted, had their second son, Grady, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. This officially promotes Ryley, our 6 year-old nephew to Big Brother status.

As a precaution, the doctors decided that Grady should come early due to some recently noticed lower fluid levels in the womb. The lower fluid level makes it possible for the umbilical chord to get pinched and cut-off supplies to the baby. Grady weighs 6 pounds and 1 oz. - a good weight for a baby at 8 months term. His little lungs needs some help for the next few days as they continue to mature. So for right now he's on a respirator and getting enzyme treatments until he's strong enough to go it alone.

So far - so good. The doctors are watching him closely and he's getting good care. Stay tuned and I will fill you in on the rest of the details as they come in.

In the interim, Uncles Rob & Christopher are eagerly planning new ways to spoil the latest addition to the tribe. Last count, we have 4 nieces and 8 nephews. 8 on CJ's side and 2 on mine.

My Grandpa Rough

My grandpa died today. He was 89 and I was named after him. He was Robert R Rough, Sr. We've know for a while that he was getting ready to head on out and be with Grandma, but all the same - it makes you stop and think.

He was a good man. Having 9 children, I was to third eldest of 4,573 grandkids (estimate). I was one of the lucky ones who got to spend some time with him growing up. Here are some of the things I remember about him:

- He took naps on the green couch in the living room with a sunlamp and weird eye-covering goggles. He wasn't doing it for the tan, he probably read something - somewhere - that said it was good for you.

- He had a workshop in the basement where you could try to build anything. One of the toys he made for us kids was a wooden board full of hinges, locks and clasps. You could open and close its doors and see comic strips once you figured out the lock.

- He took us camping and on nature hikes. He would tell us about the leaves and how to identify trees.

- Before his knee surgery, he had to sit on the end pew at church and stick his leg out since it wouldn't bend. He always got the best seat that way.

- Chocolate peanut butter milkshakes. Say no more.

- He was a scout leader. Twice. He started-up the troop again so my cousin Scott and I would be able to be scouts. I wish I told him more often how much I appreciate that. I was a teenager back then and expressing gratitude for anything wasn't my strong suit.

- Most of all - he was patient. More often than not, we grandkids were not saints. But he loaded us up in the station wagon and took us everywhere grandma told him to.

Right now, he and grandma are together again. Probably sitting at the big Rough House dining room table together playing Scrabble.

You warned us that it would be hot...

So when we moved here in June, Texas was in the middle of a freakishly long bout of rain and cool weather. Everyone here told us that it is not like this. Don't get used to it. Well, about two weeks ago it stopped raining and the sun came out. This week, people are starting to say, "Now this here is a Texas summer, y'all." I would respond, but I am too busy mopping my head with a towel as I am crawling on all fours in the shade.

Hot? Hot's not the right word. Heat is hot. This is something else. Sauna, perhaps? For the record - I still love it here!! But I have had to learn to adapt. For instance, I take three (3) THREE outfits to work. One to wear in the office, one to wear at the gym to workout at lunchtime, and another to wear as I walk to the gym and back! No kidding. I came back from the gym at lunch the other day in my work clothes and I looked "rode hard and put away wet" to say the least. But I am learning and adapting.

A Reoccuring Nightmare

Kelly has been my best friend for 13 years now. Yet, I have done the unthinkable for everyone of those years (to the best of my knowledge)... I forget her birthday. EVERY YEAR. This is bad enough as it is. I have no idea why. Do I get exceptionally stupid in July? Is there something in the stars that align every July 21st that makes me incapable of remembering the most thoughtful person on the planet?

If you are reading this, then it's likely you KNOW how good Kelly is to me and how much I cherish her friendship. For MY 40th birthday, she organized a surprise wedding for 300 and still managed to get a card for both the birthday AND the wedding.

Kelly has made me hand-sewn quilts, framed photos she took herself - you name it. She never skips a beat or gets you anything just off the shelf.

So I am publicly turning myself in as a complete ass and stating for the record how much I love her (and her equally supportive and considerate husband.) She's the best and I hope she knows how much she means to me.

Thank God she comes to visit next week and I have a chance to make it up to her. And knowing Kelly, she'll show up at my house with a house-warming basket filled with indigenous items that share a common Latin language root with my name spelled in the glyphs of the ancient people who lived on this soil before the ice age.

Unpacking and Job Hunting

Christopher has now made his third and final trip from Sacramento to Austin and all of the cars are now here in Texas. The moving truck arrived the first week of July and we were SAVED by our new Austin AA friends who helped us unload it. Since Christopher was in San Francisco speaking at the Living Sober conference. It was potentially just me and the semi. They totally saved my butt. Take a look at the pictures and see!

In regards to the flooding in Texas, we have been spared. The flooding - not the rain. You better watch what you pray for! I couldn't wait to be back in a climate where there were thunderstorms. I got what I wanted - and then some.

Uno did very well on the trip down and has made the new apartment his own already.

There is a lot to do here and I can tell there will be a lot of great adventures on the horizon. We have already been invited to go sailing on Lake Travis and to the infamous "Queens on the Beach" week in Galviston.

The job hunt is coming along. I have had a couple interviews with the University of Texas for a Traffic Coordinator job that is nearly identical to the job I had at Crocker/Flanagan in Sacramento.

Once we get all the job stuff nailed down, I will be looking for studio space and start back at painting/drawing. I can't wait. I have a couple new pieces in my sketchbook that need to happen! I have uploaded some of my work from the last school year on my flickr site if you want to see them.

Starting to settle in

I am sitting at one of my new favorite Austin-haunts. It's called the Epoch coffee shop. It is privately owned (very typical of Austin) so there is lots of second-hand furniture, funky music, AA people, gay people, hippies, cool music, free WIFI and.... a BIG covered porch that lets me sip my coffee while it rains! I am in heaven.

The trip down the second time was LONG. 33-hours in the car. But we (including the cat and our friend Drew [aka: Poodle]) made it without killing each other.

I have a second interview with the University for a great job. I am trying not to count my chickens before they are hatched, but it is encouraging.

The moving truck arrives sometime between this Saturday - Monday. Of course, CJ leaves for his speaking engagement in SF on Friday and Poodle flies back on Saturday. Needless to say - I am trying to make friends ASAP. It's kind of like this... "Hi! I am Rob. I just moved here from California! Now that you mention it... the moving truck arrives this weekend... what are you doing this weekend? HEY? Where are you going?"

Wear sunscreen when driving with Christopher

Now I know why he wanted that convertible pick-up truck. All of the cowBOYS think it's "sic" y'all. He's shameless the way he parades it about. I like to think that they are all stopping to look at me. Actually, if they are looking at me - they are looking at the third degree burns on my head. You see, unless it is raining or the asphalt is melting, the top is down. And sometimes, the latter doesn't apply. Remember the scene in "Interview with the Vampire" when little girl vampire Claudia is put out into the sun and bursts into flames? That's me riding with Christopher. Send aloe. Soon.

Oh, no... the cops, again.

Actually, this time we wanted to see them. Check out Christopher's blog to get the story. There's a link on this site.

We made it to Austin!

I will have to add to this - but wanted to check in for now. We made it! It took two days. The first leg was 13 hours with an overnight in Mesa, AZ with Christopher's cousin. Then, there was day two.

MAPQUEST LIED! We ended-up spending 18 hours. YES! 18 hours! In the truck on day two.

But we're here and I have to tell you, Austin is even prettier and more neat than I remember! We are at our friend Wayne's (aka "Pearl") house for the next couple days and then hopefully we'll have secured our apartment.

Oh.. did you know that you can get a speeding ticket for going 89 in an 80 MPH zone? I was it bit crazed with "Dessert Fever." But, the police officer didn't buy it. I am convinced it's the California plates.

Check out the photos I've uploaded. More to come.

Why Austin?

I've been getting this a lot lately... "TEXAS? Are you out of your mind?" So let me explain - Reader's Digest style:

1) We decide about a year ago that we want a decent home to live in after I graduate.

2) We look at the real estate listings in California for our next home.

3) We realize that we want to live somewhere else besides California after reading the listings.

4) We write-up our ideal city description. Night life, gay community, arts, AA community, etc.

5) Christopher spends a lot of time in Texas - especially Austin and Houston during disaster relief work and at conferences.

6) Austin keeps popping-up in our research.

7) We go to Texas in July '06 to research Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

8) We fall in love with Austin and the University of Texas. (Rob hopes to get MFA there, CJ can work there.)

9) Rob finishes school and we get ready to move to Austin this June.

It's a very cool town. Exceedingly liberal, arts-oriented, HUGE nightlife, historic and VERY affordable. Also, it is only a day's drive to one of our favorite places in the world - New Orleans.

Y'all need to come visit.

The Scene of the Crime

Mom and her friend, Joyce, have come to visit for my graduation. Part of the celebration was a great dinner with friends at The Melting Pot. It is amazing how much one can eat, one searing-hot forkfull at a time. This is what our table looked like before we all crawled out of there as if it was Thanksgiving.