I ain't goin out like that.

Man. I just had a good ol' physical at the doc's office. Poked, prodded, bloodwork, the whole gig. Call came few days later and turns out I got some high cholesterol in there. What the freak?! I've been a vegetarian for the last 15 years!! I don't know. Maybe I eat too much cheese. Too much egg. Jeez. They want me on some chol. lowering drug, Crestor. I don't like the name and I don't like the thought. I hear tell it ain't good on the liver either. Then, I got to thinking that MAYBE I'm being scammed. Why are they PUSHING drugs on me? Who's palms are getting GREASED offa my good name? Do I REALLY have high cholesterol? Who do you trust? Paranoia, my friends.

So, I whined a little bit to my nurse and told her I'd rather try out the diet and exercise route first. Rather than pump up with some hot new pharmaceutical. So I'm hitting treadmill hard starting today. Diet...? I'm already veg!

BTW, both my moms and my pops are high in cholesterol. Hereditary? Thanks!

New Scraps

Since I finished the new book, I've been meaning to put up these watercolor and pen test sheets I like to post and post. These scraps of watercolor paper I keep to my side when I'm making final art--I keep 'em handy and use to test the pen before inking, and test the watercolor before coloring. I hope my posting these things, it's not too self-indulgent. I dig how they come out in the end. I was, at a time, a huge Cy Twombly fan. Still am, to a degree, so you may see why I care.

Testify!

Feeling good cause I just wrapped my first pic book offering as illustrator AND author. Today, I sent off just short of 50 drawings to my good people at Feiwel and Friends who are publishing this little ditty. They bought in to pumping the page count a bit and letting me do some illo'd endsheets. Good on ya, Feiwel! Will be out in fall of '09, but til then here's a sneak, hot off my bunk scanner:

Birthday Me

Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday. September 11 is my birthday by unfortunate coincidence, but it is what 'tis. It's also that guy Moby's, so I ain't alone. To all you out there looking for last minute gift ideas (for me, not Moby), here's eleven things I'm into these days:

1. vintage 50's and 60's eyeglasses
2. Flight of the Conchords
3. Spongebob Squarepants (a strange, sudden regained interest)
4. Bob Dylan (still)
5. John Lennon (the best Beatle)
6. popcorn
7. Simon James
8. Gilmore Girls (don't judge!)
9. William Steig
10. bubble gum
11. grapefruit (ruby reds)

Or, a simple happy comment on otherwise one of the saddest days of American history will do.

Creatives Procreate

I hereby announce with massive joy that Julie and I are expecting our first babe. Julie's now 25 weeks in and we just found out semi-recently that we're having a girl! Girls rule! We're super psyched, and come xmas time or so, there'll be a new addition to the Halpern-Cordell household.

Here's one of the more recent snapshots of said sweet baby girl.