#10: A wrench in my weekend

Welcome back. How was your week? Mine? Well, lets just say, "I had a wrench thrown in my plans for the weekend."

I had a long week working with students in the Summer E.L.O. program for the Monterey County School District. Their energies were high, while mine was low. Not to long ago, I went to the hospital to find out I need to take antibiotics for an infection (not contagious). The students I work with are great to be around, but hey gave me a run for my money. My body felt drained, and I could barley keep up. 

On Friday, I was happy to get home and be with my family. I drove safely home. As I was on the road, I mapped out my plans for the weekend. Here's what was going on in my mind:

-It is technically 4th of July weekend (So I need to leave early to buy fireworks)

-We needed to leave early to beat the grid-lock traffic

-The kid wants to go to Gilroy Gardens and ride the water slides

-Don't forget water wings, extra clothes, sun screen, pack a lunch the night before, and smile

-Have an A, B, C plan in case of traffic (different routes)

I left Monterey around 5:55pm, I lucked out, because traffic was light yesterday afternoon. As soon as I got onto 156, the traffic began, and families were already migrating North to San Jose for the festivities. I took my secret route, which went along side highway 156. When  I got on the road, my tire light went on. Here, I'm already thinking, "Tire leak, great." Next came a tapping noise on the road thinking, "Flat tire. Awesome." I drove safely, and pulled off the road 2 minutes away from the house. I took the next precautions, I called the wife and gave her the heads up about the flat.

Changing the tire wasn't a big deal, it was the crazy rednecks in the community that drive all over the road, killing animals, and crashing their cars into the fences on other communities properties. A middle aged couple had pulled over and helped me, which is rare in California. I didn't expect it. Michigan is more likely a state back east that will pull over, help, and give you the shirt off their back. The husband stated if I needed help and began to take over before I could answer. The wife comes out with a cast on her arm waiving traffic aside. She looked back at me and smiled, "Don't worry. We couldn't have you do this by yourself. To many idiot drivers on this road hitting that'll hit something and not care about it."

As the husband was changing my tire he tells me, "I don't care if I get hit and die. I lived a good life." That made me think about what he said for a minute.

After he hanged my tire, he stood up. We shook my hand and stated his name is Boone (I believe). He told me he works at the Vallero in town. His wife too, shook my hand and told me her name. I for got it, due to my damn learning disability (no joke). We all are about 5 minutes from one another.

When I got home, I took this picture. This is what exactly happened. I ran over a frickin wrench! I ran over nails, screws, wire hangers, but can honestly anyone say they ran over a wrench? 

I can now use the saying, "I had a wrench thrown in my plans." My mom and I had a laugh. She said if I didn't show her this same picture to her, she though I was nuts.

This morning was a turn of events:

I took Boone's advice and go to Firestone and ask about my brand new tires having a warranty. This morning at 7am, the customer service rep stated, "Yes. You do have a warranty. We can replace your tire for $14.95." I jumped for joy, and I got an oil change on top of this. At 9:00am, I was able to leave. Lady luck also showed up again. A fireworks stand was directly across from where the car was getting maintenance. The guy was just setting up the stand. I told him the above information, and said I'll wait and take a look around. after five minutes, he simply asked what I wanted. I stated I really want that package of mixed fireworks for $75.00, but I only have $55.00. The guy said, "I'll work with that. Sold!" Wow, and the only thing I had to do was wake up early this morning. At first what I thought was bad luck was actually life rewarding me.

The novel entitled, "The World Is Rigged" has what appears to be bumps in the road, and what appears to give our heroes a run of bad luck. The more you will engage the book, you will notice their experiences are gifts from God. You have to get past the so called bad episodes throughout the book to see the true meaning behind each situation.

What a great day! Until we meet again,

Dustin

#9:How a person can tell if they’re really in love.

Top "5" how a person can tell if they are in love?

1 )They are always on your mind

2) Can't get enough of them

3) You see them in your future

4) You always need them around

5) You'll do whatever it takes to impress them

I met my wife hen we both worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for college. She was introduced to the department, and my heart stopped. I immediately thought, "She is the one. This is it." I spent a week trying to figure out how to introduce myself without screwing it all up. That moment came as I was stuck working on the second floor in the gift shop next to the penguins exhibit. Amanda came to stock merchandise as a seriously wicked customer gave me trouble as I rung her up at the register. Amanda watched the whole thing go down. I began to ring up her items, and smiled at her. I believe I might of did an Irish accent and said, "Top of the morning to you." I had to hear this middle aged women on menopause say:

-You are unprofessional

-I been a cashier for 11 years

-you do not know how to do your job

-The list went on and on

She contacted the manager, and he came up to ask what happened. I told him I did nothing wrong, and had Amanda explain what happened. She backed me up on the story, and the manager stated not to worry about it and left the store. I looked at Amanda and said, "Thank you for saving my ass. Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

She stated, "Ya, okay."

I paused and stated, "Wait. What? Did you say yes?"

Amanda paused and said, "Yes. I'll have dinner with you."

14 years later, here we are. Married, and with a soon to be 4 year old spunky daughter named Lizzie. That's us up above. By the way, I lost 100 pounds in 3 months. That in it self is another story all together.

In the novel, The World Is Rigged, the main character has a few love infatuations with a few teenage girls. Aren't most teens raging hormones and testing the waters in love. When Panda and D meet, it is then their supernatural powers slowly begin to emerge spiking their hormones. The two are in a sense like Hercules, you know, less than a god, but more than a man. I really don't want to give the story away, but you'll love the plots and twists that go into the story. The book has it all: Love, sci-fi, humor, adventure, sadness, and a whole heck of a ton of Easter eggs to be found.

There is so much more I need to share with you. I hope enjoyed this weeks blog!!!

Have a great and safe weekend,

Dustin 

#8: Only Child ~VS~ Siblings

What a classic debate readers! Which is better? Being the only child, or having siblings.

LOL! I feel I need to break each topic down into short bullet points, share my opinion, then how this all ties into the novel I created entitled The World Is Rigged. Lets get right into it, shall we...

Top 5 Benefits to being an only child:
-You don't need to share
-No sibling drama
-You don't live in any one's shadow
-You get all the attention
-Able to develop an artistic imagination

Top 5 Benefits to having a sibling:
-Never left alone in life
-You can learn from one another
-Can make you physically healthier
-Reduce stress
-Make you live longer

Here is my 10 cents take on this topic. I favor the benefits of being an only child. Why, you ask? Simple.Everyone will face the benefits of having a sibling when they first enter grade school. You'll have rivals in education that will bug the shnaz out of you. Peers that will annoy you to the point of melt down. And you think all this ends when you become an adult? Think again. It's even worst when your an adult and on your own. People will take advantage of your kindness, treat you like trash, lie behind your back, and wreck your reputation.

Then... their are a few individuals that are genuine and just simply need to help you in life. I can totally understand how it is to trust others in society. Good people do exist, and I tip my hat off to them.

Honestly, in the end, I feel it is how you raise your kid(s)? Did you ever hear the term, "The apple does not fall far from the tree?" Well, its true...mostly. If you put your heart and soul into your child you get an angel. If you look at your kid and roll your eyes after they broke your living room window, then congratulations you just raised another generation who might survive the fast food industry after he/she drops out of middle school. Siblings/only child, it all depends on how you raise them in the end. I'd like to have another child, but its all about the finances. I also strongly feel an only child can marry into a huge family and inherit brothers and sisters. It's how you choose to look at the situation.

In this novel, Dustin has an annoying sister named Terry who are constantly at each other throats. When you read the book, you'll start to wonder if the two reconcile in the end. I will say the house is an actual circus: a single dad, a artistic frustrated uncle, and a senile grandpa who revisits the war in his head. I honestly feel sorry for Dustin's kid sister "Terry" who lives with a house of all guys. I to live with all women, and work with all women. It feels like a double edge sword at times.

Enjoy the character designs.

Until we meet again,

Dustin

#7: Character Profile: God-Saint NIcholas- Santa Skulls- Krampus

Hello All. In this post is simply the character profiles of God, Saint Nicholas, Santa Skulls, and Krampus. In my last post, God and Nicholas (Santa Claus) are observing reality below them to make sure the rules are being followed among the humans. 

The story begins to unfold as Santa Skulls feels a tad unappreciated for doing his job as the counterpart of Nicholas, and puts his focus on D and Panda. It is funny, as I wrote this book, I thought it would be a great idea to have Santa reward the good, but to add a counter part as Skulls to punish the bad. As I did research, I found that there is a Austrian folklore involving this. After my research I blended this idea to my own for additional content to the novel. Here is one of the links to my research: Krampus

Another question has been asked is, "Why does God resemble Elmer Fudd from Bugs Bunny." Here's my answer. I feel God has a sense of humor. Two. Could a mere mortal such as ourselves take in the true form of our creator? I'm guessing no.

In designing the others, i took a natural approach to each one. I kept the Saint Nicholas design traditional: beard, stocky, and fire engine red. I did throw in a type of hillbilly grandpa look and muscular upscale look. I feel it is a nice touch.

Santa Skulls. I took the design a little yin of the yang of good old Saint Nick. I through in a little ginger, inbred stingy look. Same with the clothing and colors. Since I branded the name "Santa Skulls," I felt a skull needed to be represented. I made his nose and the bell on his beanie represent that of a skull. I made Skulls a bit smaller to give him a type of short man complex with a dash of anger management issues.

Krampus's design had some upgrading due to this old design. This will be a surprise you as you read the book. I kept some things similar, but I did add a lot more detail then what you are currently looking at.

I feel each of the characters definitely struggle through out the story. A lot of what they say has truth, so there is much to analyze as the story thickens.

Enjoy the character designs.

Until we meet again,

Dustin

#6:Do you have the same religious beliefs that you had as a child? If so, why? If not, how and why did they change?

You know, as a child, I was curious about God, angels, and the afterlife. And at one point, I was afraid of death, because I was simply too young to understand the topic being only in elementary school.

When I use to live in Sunnyvale California, I presented a question to a person I once knew. I asked, "Who is God?" This same person grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, then they drew a circle. Next, they had pointed at the drawing and replied, "That is God. God is infinite like this circular line."

I stared at the drawn circle for just a moment before saying, "If God is this infinite circle, then who/what represents the pen?" And of course no response was given.

As I got older, I went to different churches to find my place in life. I went to a Catholic Church down the street from where I lived and attended a service. My time spent there didn't feel right. Then I took another chance and went with friends and family to a Christian church. This religion felt warm and welcoming. I went to several places in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Sonora, and even one in Arizona. Most places introduced me, and several people shook my hand with a smile. I felt at ease. It felt nice to belong to something.

My belief in God is very strong, and I pray daily. However, I rarely go to church and this is my choice. I have had talks with my mom regarding if I needed to go to church on a regular basis. I believe she had replied, "No." Her opinion is that if you have a good heart, and you do your best in life, that's all God needs from anyone. I do believe God sees and knows all. I know God hears your thoughts, prayers, emotions, and intentions. 

Oh here is an interesting fact, did you know our molecular structure is shaped like a cross? It is called a Laminin Molecule, the proof of divine creation. Here's the link: Laminin Molecule 

I feel I have the same religious beliefs as I did as a child, but simply more refined as an adult. I also feel the most important factor in this blog is listening and accepting all religious beliefs as my own. There is a lot in society we can learn from other cultures, and one another. In the end, religion is a choice, a decision, and which defines all of us as individuals. I respect any path each of us has taken for their journey.

In my novel, The World Is Rigged, I have God as an observer along with Saint Nicholas (Santa). Their roles are interesting and play a huge factor in the series. The two almost post themselves as parental figures overseeing life on Earth, and secretly planning behind the scenes. In my next blog, I will share the character profiles of God, Saint Nicholas, Santa Skulls, and Krampus.

Until we meet again,

Dustin

"I feel that God has a sense of humor. Just take a moment in silence and look around our surroundings. What do you notice?"

#5: What is your best quality?

What is your best quality? I personally feel my best qualities are being analytical, reading others, intuition, and creativity/art related skills. People say one of my best qualities is my creativity. So, let’s jump into what others think about me. Society is a funny fickle, like birds. If you here one tweet, it’s not a big deal. If you hear a lot of them tweet, then somethings up and you start to pay attention to the surroundings around you.

 

To be honest, yes, I love art. I started drawing at 5yrs old, and there is nothing else like it. I remember in elementary school, I was given a project to write about where I see myself in twenty years. My response was making movies for Disney. Back then, Disney was the only major animation studio in the 80’s. Now you got other animation studios today like Blue Sky, Pixar, DreamWorks, and others to follow. Ironically, Disney bought all these companies out.

 

Art comes natural for me. I pick up any and all art forms super-fast. My favorite style has always been character, comic, and graphic design. I always told a story through designing my characters. Some people usually ask, “How do I come up with the ideas?” The answer is simple, but it drives people nuts. I simply reply, “My mind is a black hole. The ideas that I get, just pop in there.” From my book, The World Is Rigged, Oop and Ed’s name happened he same way. The following words came out, while staring at the sketch in frustration, “This is so stupid!” There it was. The names will come from the word stup-id (Oop & Ed). King Marimo came from a friend’s online picture of holding a glass jar with a perfectly circular ball of seaweed called a Marimo (click link). I was memorized by it. I immediately did a Google search and read how they multiply off themselves. Again, a vision came out of nowhere to create a comic about a notorious Marimo ball that mutates into a huge sumo type creature popping mini versions of himself off to create an army. Now, King Marimo a henchman in chapter 4 of my novel.

 

Life is definitely ironic. Never in my life time would I find myself writing a novel to coexist with my art. Why you ask? Well, I’m dyslexic for starters. It is like Superman making peace with kryptonite, and instead of running away from it I faced it! I took a weakness and made something big. Pretty impressive if you think about this for just a second. I wrote a novel. A novel consisting of just a little over 132,000 words. I am proud of myself, seriously. I cannot wait for the release date, and read your comments. How exciting!

 

Before I leave you, I’d like to share another piece of interesting piece I created entitled Hollywood Eggheads. One day as I went to buy some groceries with my wife Amanda, we pushed the cart over to pick up a dozen eggs. You open the carton check for any broken eggs, before purchasing it. I gazed upon these eggs and couldn’t help visualizing each egg being a Hollywood celebrate. I then chuckled, and took a picture. I used my creative genius ability to fuse celebrity faces on each one. Below is a picture and a list of names I used to create the piece. What is your best quality?

All best,

~Dustin

FRONT ROW: Gary Busey, Jackie Chan, Miley Cyrus, Conan O’Brian, Ronald Reagan (Ex-President), Doris Day

MIDDLE ROW: Megan Fox, Gabriel Iglesias (comedian), Barack Obama, Robin Williams, Betty White ,Harrison Ford

BACK ROW: Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lawrence, Rowan Atkinson (Mr.Bean), George Takei, Jim Carrey