1979 Semi-Finalist…

So I tried guys, I really did, but it’s 11:32pm on Friday night, and I’m still not fully packed, Adam hasn’t come home from work yet, our cab is coming for us at 5:00am, and I still haven’t drawn one full comic as promised for remote posting during my vacation week. So I’ve failed you (I’m sure you’re all handling the disappointment pretty well). So I’ll have to have ANOTHER little hiatus over here on Rabid Lamb, I’ll probably post while I’m away since I’ll have access to a computer, but as there will be no scanner there will also be no comics. Sorry - I blame it on the 70 plus hours I worked this week in five days…

Here’s a little parting gift though, the view from my beach house lounge chair…which I will only leave to get snacks and drinks, dips in the pool, and strolls down to the private beach cove below the house. Are you jealous yet? My biggest problem now is that I’m having trouble deciding which books to pack…and how many

It’s true.  I’m totally not badass enough for this gift.  But it’s one of the best gifts I have ever received in my life.  There’s something so encouraging and supportive about this gift (while still being badass) - like Adam just wants me to go running after my dreams even if they’re ridiculous and likely unachievable. 

It’s also a nice reminder that the people who love us see us very differently than we see ourselves.  To Adam it makes sense that I could end up a bass player in a badass little band (even though I’m 32 and not really musically gifted).  I have to say, like all couples, Adam and I have our problems, but when it comes to being supportive and believing in me, I don’t think there’s anyone in the world better at that than Adam. 

Also of note is the fact it’s possible the universe really does want me to be a musician. 

Despite the fact that I was a terrible coronet (similar to the trumpet) player in elementary/middle school (perhaps because I really wanted to play the drums and the band teacher and my parents talked me out of it - and forced the coronet - which I never even liked or showed interest in - onto me - thanks guys - could’ve been a rockstar by now!); in the last five or six years, two wonderful supportive people have bought me musical instruments that I love and have fantasized about knowing how to play.  A wonderful friend of mine from Los Angeles knew I desperately wanted to learn how to play the violin, and one day when she was purchasing a cello for herself (a dream of hers) she just bought me one.  How amazing is that?! 

I’m ashamed to say that I was a very busy girl then, as I am now, and I was also a bit afraid of it, and I never signed up for lessons, and so it instead remains a beautiful piece of art in my house, rather than an “instrument” but this bass gift from Adam has reminded me how much I want those other things in life that seem so out of reach, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them keep getting away from me.  So, lack of musical talent be damned, badass bass/violinst here I come…

That’s right folks, today, July 17th, is the one year anniversary for my blog.

I can’t believe a year has passed. It’s kind of sad and shocking to think how little has actually changed in my life…but this has been a pretty rewarding experience I must say, much more than I would have hoped actually.

I hit just over 42,000 hits this year, which is well short of my goal of 50,000, but still more than I ever would have expected when this thing first got started and I was looking at one hit, then two, and eventually felt proud of my measly 50 hits…

Anyway, here’s a little self portrait fun (though almost two years old) to celebrate the “blogoversary”…thanks for all your support…and here’s to HUGE numbers in year two

Thanks again!

xo

Kelly aka The 1979 Semi-Finalist

That’s right…anyone here think I was Henry the eighth in a previous life?  I certainly hope not as his karmic debt is freaking intense man.  Life thus far though, as far as awesome rewards go?  I could have totally been Henry…oy.

That’s right.  Totally Fucked Up.  Why do psychics hate me?  We may never know…though if I could stomach the results (more predictions of curses and lifelong bad karma to work off) I would probably embark on a study of psychics to find out if they all hate me, or if there is some kind of pattern or grand conspiracy here…I could even make a fancy excel spreadsheet to chart my results.  Good times!

Also, though my drawing has been crappy lately, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the awesomeness of my head (which looks nothing like me) in panel four.  It’s like one of my favorite things I’ve drawn for this strip (which isn’t saying much).  Go me!

Seriously.  WTF?

Wow.  A very rushed weekend filled with way too much work from…well, work.  Plus it was my last weekend to get my life in order before Hawaii, and I utterly failed at that, so it’s going to be an interesting week ramping up to that.  Wish me luck. 

Also, Thursday is the one year anniversary of 1979 Semi-Finalist…which seems kind of crazy…I can’t believe a year has passed since I started doing this.  Wild. 

I hope you all had a good weekend.  I saw Hancock on Sunday and it was pretty good, a solid three stars.  It kind of fell apart at the end but overall it was funny and engaging and likeable, and with the exception of some really great ones, better than most superhero movies…and ironically it isn’t based on a comic book…funny.

That’s right…so the question really is, do psychics hate me? Or did I just look the most gullible of the three roommates…with my braids and platinum blonde hair?

Stay tuned for more of this torrid (not the right word - it just sounds good) tale.

Also, here’s a question, pretty related to this comic, and to my “existing conditions”…Why do people totally suck?  I am so sick of sucky people.  Especially when I’m pretty nice.  I mean I’m not all sugary sweet and perfect or anything, but I’m really a pretty damn nice person.  And some people around me…they really blow.

WHOA! As promised…two comics in one day. Don’t spend it all in one place now y’hear?

(That was a whole country…maybe even backwoods thing I was doing there…which I now wish I could take back…what can I say, it’s been a long day and I’m a little punchy…)

So I’ve got to go out of town again, thus you’re getting TWO comics (count them TWO!) today (Wednesday) and no comic tomorrow.

I should be back and posting by Friday though, so don’t forget to check back in for the continuation of this riveting story (riveting. ha!)

PS - I got a great comment from a friend about giving myself braids to portray “young kelly”…I’m glad this worked out funny…but I’m not really that funny…just kind of trying to be accurate, I did often wear braids and bizarre fun hair “styles” in my college years…also, I was what Adam refers to as “frumpy” back then (which basically - I think- means I didn’t wear clingy low cut clothing - like I do today - and I wore my hair in braids and things) so I was mostly just trying to be “accurate” but anytime that can work out as “funny” I’m all for it!

That’s right, tune in tomorrow for the woman’s (now seemingly) sage words…

The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope…that’s me.  Well okay, that’s actually just a line from a Bloodhound Gang song that I had in my head, but whatever.

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus people, and thanks for checking back in.  I was planning to take an actual “planned hiatus” in two weeks for my vacation, but in honor of you people hanging in there I’m going to see what I can do to still post while I’m away.  If there’s going to be a computer there then basically I’ll make sure to get the strips done and ready for you, if there’s no computer, then there’s not much I can do.

I’d bore you all with what has been going on, but I plan to do that in the strip, so you’ll just have to hang in there so I don’t blow my whole wad here in the “chatter”.  Thanks again for hanging in…!

+ an allergic reaction (or something) to bug bites (or something) received at the project site (or somewhere)

=’s an itchy grouchy Kelly.  A helluva birthday I say.  Whee!  Bring on the pain.

This also equals another day of no comics.  They’ll be back, and better than ever, I promise.  Well, okay, they’ll probably be just the same as ever, but they’ll definitely be back…eventually.  Please be patient and keep checking in.

    4 days of staying up REALLY late at work

+ 2 days of work travel

+ a birthday

=  Kelly, sick as a dog.  Yet again.  I don’t know what the hell is going on with my body, but I have another Flu/Cold thing that includes everything from head congestion to fever and body aches. 

This also equals, no comic today…sorry guys.

So there’s the mystery. Solved, sort of. I mean, we know what happened, but I doubt we’ll ever know why. The bottles were not new, and not old, we’d had most of them a little over a week, probably including the one that exploded. It wasn’t a particularly hot day and the bottle didn’t appear faulty or damaged (although it’s kind of hard to determine if something is damaged AFTER it has exploded I guess) so it will remain a mystery. I just hope it never happens again. It scared the crap out of us and after spending almost three hours cleaning the apartment I was treated to another half hour of cleaning up…and then more cleaning up on Sunday…yay!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend, this will be the last comic this week as I’ll be out of town Thursday night and Friday for work and unable to post. Also, I added up how many hours I’ve worked so far this week…and between Sunday and Wednesday when I got home (very late - or very early depending on how you look at it) and I’ve worked 49 hours this week…and I still have Thursday and Friday to go. Yikes. Suffice to say I’m worn out. Also, it’s my birthday this weekend, so I just kinda don’t feel like forcing myself to draw comics…you mind?

I’ll be back Monday though in full not funny, not talented force…and one year older. Yay again. whoo.

That’s right people…the mystery continues. And if Adam and I seem a little “problem solving deficient” I can only say that I hope we offer all our illustrious problem solving skills to our job, thus leaving us a bit brain dead on a Saturday afternoon when forced to deal with our own problems.

Of course, as artists and “creative types” we were never very good at the kind of problem solving that involved “if a bus leaves Chicago traveling at 60 mph…”…or in this case, “If a full two liter of soda was all over your floor an hour ago, and you have four 2-liters that all appear full…” so maybe there was no hope for us anyway.

Tune in Thursday (I hope) for the mysterious conclusion.

Ugh. Sometimes I hate drawing…last night was one of those nights. I have a sneaking suspicion it will be this way all week. Sigh. Poor me. Anyway, the mystery continues tomorrow…hopefully with better art

If you haven’t seen American Beauty then this bit is probably lost on you…I’d like to apologize, except all I can say is “shame on you”.

Hope you all had great weekends. I wouldn’t log mine as great, I mostly worked and avoided work, but I finally at least cleaned my apartment. Yay. SO overdue. You have no idea. This week proves to be hellish and I’ll be out of town for some of it, but I promise to do my best to get the comics up every morning, I know most of you can’t get through the day without them

I think I speak for us all when I say, thank the gods this is the last ‘Tragic Penis-Man’ strip.  The ideas only got more gross after this one…and this one was almost painful to draw.  Hopefully it at least gives you a chuckle…

For Illustration Friday…”Punchline”

But I call this one “The Literalist”.  It took a while to come to me, but once it did I had to post, even though I’m barely making the deadline and the art is crappy.  I want to use “The Literalist” again, such great opportunities in store for him…I don’t know the other guy’s name…something like “The Olive Vampire”?  I have no idea…