The Customary Holiday Shutdown

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Erwin A. Dence Jr. under Uncategorized

Trish and I are at our son Sean’s house, down Surf Route 101, hooking up our computer, checking out the 1200 or so e-mails in our in box. What? Yeah; we’ve been doing without. Not going off the grid by choice, our land line, then our internet went out, like, two weeks ago.

This was after our well/water lines had issues. It’s pretty much a holiday tradition. Last year our modem went out during the holiday weekend; fixed the day after Christmas.

This year, not so lucky. I missed several sessions where, allegedly, waves broke on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Luckily, I did get in on one session.

Luckily for me, and for Trish, she has been able to do Facebook on her phone. Yeah, it’s all smaller, harder to write long responses, but, at least she can keep up with the number of local folks also pissed off at CenturyLink.

Oh, I would love to get back the time I’ve spent, pretty much every day, on the (cell) phone, waiting to talk to a representative, each of whom told me it would be fixed that day.

So, far, nope.

Meanwhile, in the time I’ve not spent looking for leaks, trying to figure out wiring after, and this is connected to the replacement of the pump, and the time I didn’t waste online, I did a lot of work on “Swamis,” the novel.

I’m up to about 25,000 words, some of them only used once; and I’ve continued to edit the earlier chapters.

Anyway, we’re ordering pizza and I’ve got to get off the computer. We’re planning on cruising into the HamaHama Oyster Company on the way back up.

So, I’ll get back to some new realsurfers stuff. as people who work for the government keep saying, and as skunked surfers tell each other, maybe tomorrow.

Wait; It’s that close to Christmas? Ow!

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Erwin A. Dence Jr. under Erwin Dence illustrations, realsurfers illustrations, Uncategorized

Hey, it’s December tenth. This is when, traditionally, I seem to run out of painting work. Not always a joyous thing.

I got laid off from a temporary position with the Civil Service on December tenth. It was a reduction-in-force in Civilservicespeak. RIF. I had reluctantly gone back to work painting for the feds after a two year separation due to my desire to hit the big time as a contractor; a career move with a shaky start (and why I gave up on big-time commercial projects- not a shark, stay out of the shark tank) that cost me dearly (five months working for free, loss of retirement drawn out, first time dealing with real depression, blah, blah); though I did lose a lot of weight.

Yeah, but that was twenty-five years ago or so. I’ve gained all the weight back. And, yes, then some; but I was really pissed-off because they, supposedly, kept employees with special skills. I was pretty much the only classically-trained and the most skilled sign painter, but never did learn the most important Civil Service skill.

I’d tell you what it is, but you might think I’m KISSING UP.

Another December 10th it was announced by one of the main general contractors that I worked for that he wasn’t receiving all the money from a project he had asked and planned for, and he was going to share that misfortune with his subcontractors. Joy.

There are other examples, and, maybe, like saying the surf has always been good on Thanksgiving, I’m using the date as a sort of marker of all the DOWNSIDES OF THE SEASON; the reason people celebrate the various holidays in the darkest days of the year. Yea, we’re alive!

ALL THIS, really, just got rolling out of my fingers as I wanted to write something about how I don’t have HOLIDAY GREETING CARDS ready to sell at TYLER MEEKS’ DISCO BAY OUTDOOR EXCHANGE.

I’ve been busy. But, here are a couple of examples of cards. If I get my job finished early enough I might have some time to get to the printers. I’ll let you know.

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Available soon. Shit, I have to get going so I can finish up another job. MEANWHILE, best to you, including some waves. I hear they’re, traditionally, good this time of year.

It’s not an Oyster, it’s a tag

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Erwin A. Dence Jr. under "Swamis" the novel, Original Erwin t-shirts, real surfers, Uncategorized

I drew up several versions of a price tag for my t-shirts and illustrations available at Tyler Meeks’ DISCO BAY OUTDOOR EXCHANGE. I don’t think this looks like an oyster, or, maybe, an abalone shell, but Trish does.

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And I don’t know if coloring it in helps make it less shell-like. Here’s the other version, not yet colored-in.

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Hey, check out “Swami’s” the novel, a few scrolls and finger-rolls down. I’m working on it. Well, when I get a chance. Thanks.

A Few New Tees A Few Good Waves

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Erwin A. Dence Jr. under Erwin Dence illustrations, Original Erwin, real surfers, Uncategorized

I picked up some tee shirts at DL LOGOS in Port Townsend yesterday. The outfit is run by Dwane and Loren (oh, that’s why it’s DL), and they have what I (having worked in several sign shops), a fan of such places, consider a pretty cool shop.

Rather than the smell of heavy and toxic chemicals (lacquer thinner, paint, methyl ethyl ketone), it is one, warm, due to the fact that the inks need the heat to dry, and, two, has more of a plastic-y smell. It’s similar to the smell of a toy, from some years ago, that enabled kids to melt plastic around all kinds of shapes.

One of the guys, D or L, and I went through the boxes of leftover or extra tee shirts a week or so ago, got a selection of sizes and colors. From the first batch of shirts I learned that not everyone wants a L, XL, or XXL; so I got some smalls and a few more mediums.

SO, after I kept a couple for gifts, one for myself, sold some shirts to friends, one to a woman on the job I was working on, there are now less available at TYLER MEEKS’ DISCO BAY OUTDOOR EXCHANGE.

AND, rather oddly enough, as the first potential buyers were going through the selection, I realized I was a little reluctant to let the shirts in the coolest colors go; mostly because the next potential customers couldn’t see how cool they were. Mine, in, yes, the XXL, is on a sort of forest green, and, yeah, it’s fine, but in maroon…

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Whoa!

I am working on some seasonal, surf-related cards, and, with the knowledge I’m getting from actually producing and trying to market art and products (and throwing in that I enjoy the hell out of the whole process), I will be doing more shirts soon.

Here’s are the first shirts, a black and white version of one of two new designs for tags I’m working on, and an illustration that probably won’t make it to ORIGINAL ERWIN shirts.