by Marty Coleman | Nov 18, 2013 | Travel Napkins |
Linda and I went down to Texas this weekend to visit Caitlin and go to the Baylor/Texas Tech game. We stayed at a Courtyard by Marriott and, as usual, I got up early and went downstairs to have breakfast and do some drawing and reading.
I was the only one in the restaurant at first and the woman who helped me was standing alone at the counter after I got my food. She was working on a clipboard, then was at the cash register. I caught her standing still, contemplating some numbers, and took advantage to get a quick sketch of her. She was wearing a Dez Bryant Dallas Cowboys shirt on as the hotel was doing a fall football theme.
One of the other restaurant workers happened to see me doing the drawing and told the woman, Karen, about it. She thought it was pretty cool and graciously allowed me to take her photo with the unfinished drawing. We had a good discussion about eyebrows.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Model – Karen of Courtyard
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 16, 2013 | Illustrated Short Stories |
Introduction
She went on vacation by herself.
Chapter One
When she looked at him she wasn’t sure if he was drowning or just goofing around. She decided he was drowning and went into the deep end and saved him. He revived and kissed her on the lips he was so happy. He looked at her lips afterward and asked if she was cold.
Chapter Two
She went down to the bar later that night and the man she saved was there with his wife. The wife didn’t have a bra on. He introduced her as the hero who saved his life. The wife didn’t smile, just shook her hand and said thanks. He asked for her address so he could send her a thank you card and a token of his appreciation. The wife glared at him.
Chapter Three
She watched them from the bar for quite a while. They both got drunk. She didn’t. She had a snack and went back to her room to watch TV.
The End
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 14, 2013 | Marty Coleman |
Lately everyone on Facebook is making a list of ‘things you didn’t know about me’. Someone posts a list and if you ‘like’ the list the list maker messages you and gives you a number. You have to then post that number of things people don’t know about you. This is a take off on that idea. My number is random.
1. You already know I am an artist and have 2 degrees in art.
You don’t know that I had to leave or was kicked out of 2 undergraduate colleges and one graduate college on my way to getting those degrees. One of those events was completely my fault.
2. You already know I was burned on 70% of my body in a boat explosion at age 18.
You don’t know that the resulting legal issues didn’t get resolved for 9 years. I got enough money to pay for most of Grad school.
3. You already know my dad, Skeets Coleman, was a famous aviator.
You don’t know that he paid for me to learn to fly starting at age 13 and I got my pilot’s license right after my 17th birthday. Even though I don’t fly now I always imagine I could land any plane in an emergency.
4. You already know that my Grandfather was a sunday painter and woodworker and taught me all sorts of things about drawing and woodworking when I was very young.
You don’t know that he was President of Encyclopædia Britannica for many years.
5. You already know that I am exhibiting artist.
You don’t know that my first exhibition was of nude figure drawings in the Darien High School library in 1973. I was 18 and a senior. No, I am not joking. It was a different time then.
6. You already know I taught drawing part-time at the college level.
You don’t know that I tried for 8 years to land a full-time teaching job and wasn’t able to. I finally retrained myself on computers, switched career directions and landed a job in Tulsa.
7. You already know I am a running coach.
You don’t know that I didn’t start running seriously until I was 53. I will log just under 1,000 miles this year and will run my 3rd marathon next month. It’s never too late.
8. You already know I love Oreos.
You don’t know that I haven’t eaten one in all of 2013 (so far).
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 13, 2013 | Marcelene Cox, Shop 'Til You Drop - 2013 |
Here is a fashion statement for you: Today is day #5 of my ‘Shop ‘Til You Drop’ series!
Getting To Know You – Camping
I had a girlfriend back in the early 2000’s. We got a long really well until we went camping together. She thought I was weird and picky on the trip. I thought she was weird and loosey goosey on the trip. That trip pretty much sealed our fate as being incompatible in the long run. We broke up shortly thereafter.
Getting To Know You – Cooking
I had a ‘not quite a girlfriend’ girlfriend, also in the early 2000’s. We were pretty focused on each other and it looked like we were about to become GF/BF. That is until we cooked a dinner together with me in the lead. She thought I was too intense in the kitchen. I reminded her of some relative, I think an uncle. She hated him for deep emotional reasons that somehow were triggered by how I was while cooking. We had a good dinner and a fun evening, or so I thought. But the next day she pretty much said we couldn’t go forward because of how much she disliked being reminded of this guy.
Getting to Know You – Shopping
When I was in my early 20s, single and living in San Francisco I had just started to date a woman. It was pretty much still at the friendship stage but it was leading to GF/BF status. That is until we went shopping. She had to go to a very fancy soiree for her Tennis Club, at which she was an up and coming star. We traipsed over to Union Square and headed directly to the top floor of Neiman Marcus. She knew pretty much what she wanted and focused on blue blouses to go with a skirt she already had. She found a blouse that went for $500.00. This was in 1978. That was a LOT of money for a blouse in 1978. She was 20 years old. She bought it and out we went. I expressed surprise that she would spend that much money on a blouse for one event. She waved it off and said, “Oh, I won’t keep it. I will wear it tomorrow night and bring it back. If I mess it up my mother will be mad but she will pay for it.”
I learned a lot about her during that short shopping trip. I didn’t pursue the relationship after that.
Lesson Learned
Now do I think you really can tell everything you need to know by going shopping with a woman? No, of course not. Women aren’t just their shopping habits any more than men are just their ‘tool bench in the garage’ habits. But I am saying you can learn a lot by shopping with someone, male or female. Doing something active is how you find out about people. That includes even those you have been married to for years and years.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote by Marcelene Cox, American writer
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 12, 2013 | Shop 'Til You Drop - 2013 |
I’d bet money today is day #4 of our ‘Shop ‘Til You Drop’ series!
Sex and the City
This is a famous quote from the TV series ‘Sex and the City’, spoken by Carrie, the Fashionista narrator of the show. I think we all understand what she was saying – her clothes are a visual manifestation of her money. I get it and I think it’s a funny quote.
Money as Clothes, Clothes as Money
But when I imagined a closet where the clothes were replaced by actual money I saw a problem as well. What would happen if her closet (or yours) was suddenly transformed and all that hung up were the various denominational bills. Several 100 dollar bills hung on the hanger instead of the Alexander McQueen dress. A pile of 5-6 50s lay on the floor instead of a pair of Prada boots. A raft of 20s hung instead of the Hermes scarf. Those bills would be pretty useless to you in your closet.
Then again, clothes are pretty useless to you in your wallet or purse. You can’t spend skinny jeans on groceries, a cable knit cardigan on medicine or a pair of kick ass stilettos on rent.
The Aunt
I had an aunt who was obsessed with shopping. She had maybe 30 Coach bags, most of which were still unused. She had hundreds of blouses, skirts, dresses, pants that were in multiple colors…and never worn. She had trinkets and baubles and decorations up the wazoo, most of which were never seen. They had his and her Hummers.
In the meanwhile her family was in debt. The family business was having a hard time. Mortgage was overdue. Foreclosure was coming. Then she got sick and died.
We were worried about her widowed husband’s ability to recover and sustain his life. It looks for sure like he would have walk away from the house, losing it all. But, that’s not what happened. He was able to get back to work. He was able to pay down his debt and keep the house. Why? Because no one was spending anymore.
It’s great to have nice clothes. I love looking at great clothes and admire women or men who pay attention to that, I think it adds confidence to one’s life when you care about how you dress. But money is not really what’s in your closet, it’s the memory of money that’s there. If you need your money, save it in a bank, because it will never turn into money in your closet.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
Quote from ‘Sex and the City’ script, spoken by Carrie
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