The Travelling Avatar... Part II

"On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things.
There was sand and hills and rings." - America, Horse with No Name


What better place to start than a night to gaze at the aurora borealis...

Moon gazing also makes for an awesome "life drive"... that's what I, and a few friends, like to call a late-night drive in the country with just the stars and the moon as light... of course, the scattered street lights of the towns and villages, and the lights in the windows really add to the experience...

The Travelling Avatar...

I always loved the concept used in Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (a.k.a. Amélie) where Amélie persuades her father to follow his dream of touring the world by stealing his garden gnome and having a flight-attendant friend send pictures of it posing with landmarks from all over the world.  Wikipedia has loads of information about gnomes cropping up in pop culture all over the place referring to the The Travelling Gnome Prank.  Since I love to travel so much, I knew I had to use it somehow.

This is how my story goes...

Some time ago, I found a very cool application on the iTunes AppStore called AvatarCreator.  What a great tool to make a personal avatar of yourself or of friends and family.  It's time-consuming, but VERY precise, and the likeness is uncanny if you choose the right eyes and nose, and manage to get the appropriate size, rotation, and placement on the face.  I encourage you to get it, and create some friends or family... it is a lesson in how much you really pay attention to facial features.

Once completed, you can save the avatar in various situations. It's what I like to call an Avatar for all Seasons and Situations.  Here are a few examples:

And then the fun began, with the help of a few other Apps (e.g. PCaptions, PhotoChop)...  First, I started using them in Christmas cards,

New Year's greetings,

and profile pics for Twitter and Facebook, but knew that there was something missing... Ah, yes!!  Of course... Travel & adventure. 

So, I decided to send my Avatar on a world tour to the places I've actually been, those I plan to visit, and those I only dream of visiting.  This is the start of my Avatar's journey...

"I'm drivin' in my car, I turn on the radio..."  

I wonder what's playing? May-be "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane.

ENJOY THE TRIP!!

Zombieland

I would like to introduce you to my little, Cherry-eating zombie boy who continues to inspire and amaze me every day.  He loves eating fresh cherries while walking along the Canal du Nord, in Northern France, while humming a merry tune - mostly the theme to Indiana Jones, Star Wars or Star Trek. Such life, energy, innocence...


He has come to appreciate some of his mother's odd ways and interests. And at 6 1/2 years old he even understands the off-the-wall humour that comes along with those interests.


After school one day, I started talking to him about a movie that was being shot in a nearby town with aliens and zombies.  I continued on to say how I would be a perfect cast member. "Why mommy?" he said. "Well, I'll show you something honey",I said, "but don't get scared. It's just mommy having fun with pictures". "O.K. mom! Show me!"  So, I pulled out my iPod Touch, and showed him this... 

With eyes wide open and mouth agape... "WOW! Can I do one?" he asks. "Yeah! Of course you can honey" I answer.  "Let's do one of you!!" Just call us Zombie family!


So, the other day, he comes home from school... "Mom, look at my picture."  As you will see below, our son does amazing things with stick people - so much detail! 


This is what he showed us...

A cemetery with Zombies... with scars, claw-like fingers, sharp teeth, bulging and misshapen eyes... I LOVE IT!! What's more interesting is the ones in the background... zombies on wheels.  Movie makers didn't think of that one. Of course, the movies would be much shorter since the action sequences are often based on the speed of the zombies - that's where the suspense lies.  Though, I never did understand how the zombies managed to catch up so quickly to the people who were "running" for their lives... Ah, now I get it... the wheels!!


May-be the next sequel to Shaun of the Dead will be "Skateboard Zombies... coming to terrorize your town and your skate park..."

To BE or not to BE...

That is the only question!! And, I don't mean "to be happy" or "to be a space monkey", but TO EXIST. I woke up one morning to discover that I am at an age where the people I love will go through some difficult and trying times, especially as it relates to health. And, I realize that NO ONE is immune, not even me!! 


Unfortunately, revelation and realization often comes at a terrible cost - an early morning call announcing the passing of a loved one, and another informing of a medical emergency - a close call.  For me, I've experienced both within a few weeks! What an eye-opener; a kick in the face from Mr. Harsh Reality who's decided that's it's time to start visiting me and my family... how dare he?  Well, how dare I be so naive?


Mr. Harsh Reality first came to visit me 3 years ago when I was 37 -  At that time, I called him Mr. Death's Door, 'cause that's where I was - not a pretty thought! So, after a few days of crying and building up my courage to admit my fate to my family, but mainly to myself, I took that less-travelled road.  You know the one? "Two roads diverged in a single wood... I took the one less travelled, and that has made all the difference". AMEN! How true?


So, now 60 pounds lighter, Mr. Second Chance has given me a new lease on life.  I am healthier than I've been in years, but I still get angry at the thought of my ignorance and blindness, and what I did to myself.  I was a lucky one!


There I was in the boxing ring, Ms. Stupid Ignorance going head-to-head with Mr. Harsh Reality.  Who was in my corner? Who cheered me on?  What helped me make that strong left hook that blew Reality out of the ring?

1. a loving and caring family who kept me in check - getting mad when necessary.  You know that old habits die hard?!?!
2. a good group of devoted fans cheering me on from the sidelines - "You can do it - Yes, you can... Rah! Rah! Rah!"
3. a healthy and balanced diet - the "quartered" plate really works (Canada's Food Guide - http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php)
4. exercise, especially lots of cardio.

It's getting easier now than it was at first, and I've learned to be disciplined.  My main driver, though, was Mr. Death's Door who scared me to my senses.  Mr. Harsh Reality then showed me my great stupidity - "Don't you want to see your son grow up into an awesome young man?"

While I'm fine today, I find myself wondering how I could tell others NOT to take the easy road?!?  Well, what I can do is write this post and say that my mother has just had a heart attack at 60, but it could have easily been me at 37.  Does that scare anyone?  It scares me now more than it ever did when I was visited by Mr. Second Chance and began my new journey on that branch-covered, weed-infested road in that loving, embracing wood...

It was the struggle that paid the dividends! Anything worth having or keeping is never a smooth sail on a calm sea... you learn how to be a good captain from maneuvering the rough seas.

Now, who's next?

The Beginning

In the beginning were these words... they took form, grew into more and more words, until something half legible came into being.  I always complain that I have no time to myself to work on a project.  Of course, my problem is that projects come and go... Like a true Gen Xer, I move from one thing to another trying to find the right fit.  My husband gets frustrated because I even do this in discussion - topics change abruptly without any notice, or any lead-in.  I think he's hoping that having a blog will provide me with a little stability.  I hope he's right!

My blog speaks to my many and changing interests, though I must admit that a few remain relatively constant.  Those are the ones I'll be talking about most often.

Of course, anything could come up in my thoughts and dreams - these tend to be vivid.  I'll try to get those images out to you while they are fresh. So, anything goes... movies, art, photography, travel, culture, tourism.  If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see the subjects I like to tweet and/or retweet.  Hopefully, some of those interests will come out in this blog.

I invite you all to comment on what I write... Let's start the show...