Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

Well, I finally got around to washing my recertified Porsche (it got totalled by a previous owner and rebuilt for the track if you're wondering how I could afford it; it's actually one of the cheaper cars I've owned even though it's the second fastest)… I don't really care what it looks like but it was getting very dirty. I think I'm going to paint it in a week or two but I'm not sure how. Maybe a green camo. I don't know. Mostly I want it to be unique and make kids laugh.

Oh, the kids laughing comment reminds me of a story. When I was at Nefarious's “welcome back to school BBQ” last week (or maybe it was the week before), I watched one kid that was sort of a bully. He'd basically walk around pushing and punching kids, and his parents weren't able to control him at all. He walks up to me, and here's how it went:

Kid: “Your tattoos are really ugly!”

Me: “Thank you.”

Kid: “Show me your ugliest tattoo.”

(I pull up my sleeve and show him the tattoo of Manhog holding is head, and the rest of the Jim Woodring sleeve)

Me: “This is Manhog. He's half pig and half person, and this little guy [pointing at Frank] hit him over the head with an oar, so he's holding onto his head where it hurts.”

I told him stories about the other tattoos, and his mood completely changed and he became engaged in what we were talking about and was attentive, polite, and happy. After that conversation I didn't see him act out for at least half an hour (if at all)… I think that a number of the kids at that school are really angry — and what's interesting is that it seems to be the ones that are picked up and dropped off every day by their nannies rather than their parents.

I figure kids just want to be taken seriously, respected, and communicated with like adults…

Other than that, I've had three gig of memory cards break in the last week or two. I want to get myself a new camera for my birthday because I've really been enjoying taking photos lately but I think I am going to save the money and use it to winterize the truck a little more (and I'm hoping I can just borrow Rachel's nice camera for the short term).

Well, back to work, and then I'm off to King of Fools to drop off a power supply for my rotary machine for Ronin to play with, and maybe make a couple appointments. And of course later today, Survivor! I don't care what the news says about this being a bad season, I think it's brilliant.