I moved to Seattle 3 weeks ago! And I LOVE it here!

Moving and traveling to many places on my own accord has been my longest and dearest dream. Finally able to do and keep it. 

I haven't figured out where I want to Be just yet. Most people that know me personally know I LOVE San Francisco, despite being called insane for my love of San Francisco...I still love her. Least she is a 2 hour flight away now. Many think but my end goal is SF but its i not. It's one of the many places I want to be at some point. As one of my friends said, "I feel you San Francisco is a magical place." 

Ever since I was a kid I had this dream to travel. My dad was never home due to work and he bought us a map of the United States so we could see where he was. My brother and I would point at random places declaring we'd live there. Seattle was one of them. I'm pretty sure we argued about that one. 

When I was young I was forced to travel. Instead of rushing to the destination, savor it. I've been to numerous places but also missed out on so many! Grow up and travel when I wanted to at my own accord and hope to meet someone special who would want to travel with me. But alas that part of my dream hasn't manifested yet. Statistically most people settle and don't move more than 60 miles from where they are born. I've been fortunate every place I lived at I had at least one life long friend I still talk to consistently. 

On the surface it seems like many things for me have fallen apart, but it actually all fell together. Its surreal but I'm living a few of my dreams. 

I lost my Graphic Design job due to the lady who I replaced. She worked at the shop for 16 years prior and wanted her job back after trying something else. My previous employer could never say no to her. Ironically it was the one day people were repeatedly complimenting on my work in front of the boss. It was a week before all the lock downs happened in the states. Anyone put in that position would be upset. I was going to quit that job anyways this year, but it happened sooner than I thought. In my life I learned sometimes the greatest things that can happen to you can happen after tragedy. Despite losing my job my personal time line for moving to Seattle was not delayed!

Pre-Pandemic I was working 2 jobs and some side hustles for almost 2 years. Working 35-60 hours a week, 7 days a week. Only getting 1 full day off once a month. Sadly it was robbed because I would sleep. Until I took a 10 day vacation I didn't realize how much stress this was mentally and physically. 

It was hard but I was determined to get money to move. I knew that lifestyle was temporary. I get tired of hearing and saying the same things. Life is moved by actions. So I shut up and made my move. Like they say actions are louder than words. At times the perfect opportunity comes when you are not completely ready, but you have to have courage to follow through and believe in you. There were times before I did not have the courage, I build my kingdom slowly but I get there. 

A lot of people thought this move was spur of the moment, but it was not. I've been planning and working on this for over 2 years. I didn't talk about it much because I didn't want to hear anyone's negative echo. Sure enough when I told people I gave my 30 day notice to my apartment I heard it. In a way it was a small blessing to get covid and recover so it wasn't an excuse to not move at the date I set. It was only delayed one month because by the time I recovered from my relapse it was too soon to comfortably make arrangements to move. 

Ironically my previous employer scoffed at me when I mentioned I'll probably make my side hustle of web design work into my job. And now here I am working as a contractor doing Graphic work and web design remotely. I get to work from home at any time of day or anywhere I feel like working with generous deadlines. All the random skills I learned I can now use. It helps and gives me time to work towards doing my dream job.

Uncharted 2 is my favorite game. I still randomly quote from it. I played it like 3 times and never skipped the cutscenes. I wanted to tell my previous employer, "Oh, you're not jealous...Let's not forget who walked out on whom, after all. You don't get to be jealous." Without the seductive voice. You're the one who fired me, you can't tell me what to do.  I have tact and wouldn't steal clients from your business or work for your competitor. 

She did have her caring side but other times things were weird. Despite not having uniforms or dress codes I was told to take off my hat or decorative scarf because it made her feel uncomfortable. I told my co-worker, "What is she an abusive boyfriend telling me what I can and cannot wear? Wtf." Towards the end I clapped back and said; "Y'know what I have bad hat hair today because I overslept. I'm not taking off my hat." I took off my hat to show my fluffy hair and put it back on. 

It reminded me of when I was a kid and would get in trouble for no reason. Just someone's easy target to pick on because they were stressed.  Alas I did it all for the experience and its just a memory now. I was put out of my misery. 

I got really lucky with my new apartment. Got a great deal on it, management and the neighbors are for the most part pleasant. Super awesome location. The street is a pretty long street. One end there is the ocean and the other end Green Lake. Also easy access and 10 minutes from downtown. It took 2 weeks but I can decently parallel park without too much trouble.

 

So much good food I've tried. Greek food is my latest obsession. Haven't had good Greek food since I lived in Germany. Gyros with lamb, beef meat with tzatziki sauce is probably the thing I've eaten the most while I lived here. My favorite place is Bus Stop Espresso & Gyros. They have like the best espresso in Seattle. I'm sure the cook heard me, not sure if he is the owner but after I said that I got my order and my gyro had so much food on it I couldn't roll it and had to eat it with both hands!  

It took over a week to find a coffee spot I liked. I'm convinced after only searching for coffee in google maps using the word espresso instead I was able to find coffee strong enough for me. I was totally disappointed that there is this cafe down my street where usually people line up. When finally decided to try it the mocha there tasted like buttermilk. I could not taste espresso or a hint of coffee at all. Bus Stop Espresso & Gyros and Kitanda are my favorites. 

Stay tuned! 

Although I'm super busy. @___@

 Usually when I move I have like an album or a music genre I'll listen to. Last time it was Certt.'s album Amaiya jazz. Some reason I got really back into 90's - early 2000's Pop & R&B music. It's been over a month and now I'm starting to listen to other stuff like game music like Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition Bury the Light and synth J-pop while I'm working. 

I had 22 hours of driving and hundreds of hours of packing and unpacking. And these are just a handful! The 90's was an interesting time. People always seem to have a soft spot for the decade they were born in. 

Use Your Heart - SWV

Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls

Say You'll Be There - Spice Girls

Everybody - Backstreet Boys

I saw BSB live in concert. My friends and I were like wait they didn't play THIS song. We are not leaving until they play this, despite people were already heading out. They played this for the encore. Sure enough the lights came back on and Everybody was the last song of the night. It was hype.  Funny when I saw them live they were not as hot as I remembered.

My philosophy is when you sing BSB you gotta do the hand motions. and Um yes I do them when I'm driving. TT^TT \m/ Gotta rock that body right. 

I'm Dreamin' - Christopher Williams

The Boy Is Mine - Brandy ft. Monica

This song was always on the radio when we would go to Sacramento. To me its the going to Sacramento song. Sac Town!

He's Mine - Mokenstef

One thing I love about the 90's is sometimes songs would be all trashy but sounded eloquent 

and super catchy. 

Too Close - Next

Full Moon - Brandy

Jumpin' Jumpin' - Destiny's Child

Love like this - Faith Evans

Synthesize Her - TWRP

Super Street Fighter II OST Guile Theme

Love Taste - Moe Shop, Jamie Paige, Shiki-TMNS

I Wanna Be Down - Brandy ft. Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo & MC Lyte

11AM - Saba Abraha

Hot Like Fire - Aaliyah

Work It - Missy Elliot

In these times searching for some sense  of  normalcy of pre-pandemic times is totally scared. Bonus points if you can social distance and not harm others. Earlier this month I started doing online figure drawing workshops with Art Center students. One of the students that goes to brainstorm and Art Center invited us to check it out. It has been a blast so far. I'm pretty rusty but hey I'm learning and having fun! 

I've been doing figure drawing digitally. I bounce between Photoshop and Corel Painter.

One of the reasons I started going to figure drawing sessions was because I was taking online classes. I would go to my crappy fast food job and then just go home and repeat, repeat, repeat. Doing that for one semester drove me nuts!

I have my anti-social moments, but need some social interaction. But now-in-days with the pandemic things have to be online, video chat, text or phone. It helped I took a Brainstorm Inland class and it was live online. Everyone was able to get to know each other pretty well. Sometimes we draw together and do voice chat or share screens on discord or google hangouts. Some social interaction.

I learned about the local figure drawing sessions from the local art store. It took me months to actually attend a session. (I can be extremely shy at times.)

I've been to numerous figure drawing sessions and workshops, it was part of my routine and a staple in my life for several years now. It isn't ideal to study figures online instead of live but something is better than nothing. 

Hang in there peeps! It is hard for everyone. 

Stay safe!

& keep drawing! 

There are more drawings but they aren't as good. Or I drew the same thing numerous times to try to get the hang of drawing and understanding the pose. 

Songs on my playlist

Homemade beef stew Version 2 with my own grown chives

I was sick with covid for about 3-4 weeks. The incubation time for me was 12 days. The worst of it was during the first 2 weeks of having symptoms. I also had minor symptoms during the 12 day incubation time. 

My symptoms were gradual lost of taste and smell that eventually completely disappeared, muscle soreness at first. headaches at first, fatigue, brain fog, mild sore throat. Thankfully the way my throat felt was like when you get that pin like feeling when you are about to get sick. It stayed that weird feeling of about to get sick but not. I didn't get the fevers, chills and cough. 

For home self care 

-Drink plenty of liquids. I drank only water and tea with organic honey.

-Eat a good diet. 

-Plenty of rest. There were days I slept all day and only woke up to eat.

-Tylenol - for headaches and if you have fevers.

I started this liking Matcha Mint tea, I had so much of it
I don't like it as much as before.

This honey is the best! So smooth and tastes 

like marshmellows. And its super affordable!

Yes and no Covid-19 has similar symptoms to the Flu. This beast takes over your entire body and mind. Complete lost of taste and smell without congestion is strange. Then again everyone's case is different and the unknowns that doctors do not know too much about this disease. And then the real threat I could really die from this is too real. 

I really can't emphasize how awful the fatigue was. Doing something simple as washing dishes for less than 10 minutes would completely wipe me out. It took an additional few weeks to feel "normal" and be awake the entire day without napping.  

Until brain fog is lifted you don't realize what brain fog is. A friend mentioned the comparison of when you get a migraine, and it lifts you can finally think clearly. It would take a long time to think about things. For example if you are making an omelet and it take longer that usual to realize you need to take the eggs out and other things. Complex thoughts took longer to process, like making a list. 

Didn't help around this time I was sick the news cycle for a few days was really locking on black people were more prone to dying from this. It was pretty upsetting. Like the horror movies the black person usually dies. I'm half black. I joke that my horror movie stereotype is despite being the 'smart' one that almost survives till the end. But, not a surprising plot twist tragically dies because I am black. Doesn't help my other half is Asian and welp they usually die too. Hey guys! lets go this way! -dies- Clears the safe path but never makes it through. *Sigh

My version 1 beef stew. So good I could eat it everyday.
Crock pot food was a lifesaver. 

Surprisingly people were extreme good to me when I told people I had it. I didn't expect that. But when there is a human face in front of an abstract notion people tend to be more humane.

When I was going through it I only told a few people, when I recovered I am now more open to telling people. A couple of friends would think of me when ordering take-out. Like hey I'm going to the burrito place want your usual beef fajita burrito?

 Even my germaphobe friends didn't treat me like the plague. It was funny there was a few germaphobe friends that kept texting me if I was alright. I would lie and say I was fine. They kept badgering me and I did not give in and be honest until I was recovered. Real shock that they had compassion instead of wanting to perform an exorcism with lysol, hand sanitizer or essential oils. But then again I wasn't in contact in person with these people.

Extra food I make I usually freeze, it was nice to have a
good meal without cooking. Split pea soup.  

I made 2 different kinds of beef stew with the same broth and beef chunk. 
The thyme is homegrown. It took a long time to make these. I would sauté vegetables, go back to sleep. Sear the meat and place in the oven. Dose off and so on. Took me 2 days to prepare beef stew to
what usually would of taken an 1 1/2 hours. 

During the worst of this I enrolled in a Brainstorm Inland class and I wasn't sure if should drop the class. I'm glad I did not. It kept me busy and focus on something else besides dwelling in misery. It was difficult at first because I would sleep all day and only get up to eat. 

Recently I saw an article that pin pointed exactly how the covid test feels like. I have had this test 4 times. When you are a kid and you are in the swimming pool and accidentally dunk into the water and the chlorine goes up your nose. That feeling but is swifter. 

I'm feeling better for the most part. 

-Stay tuned for Part 3! - Because Yes! There are lingering side effects. 

Recent Playlist

On the left it is a week 3 assignment and this is a redraw I am working on. 

Comparison to week 1 on the left and reimagined week 8ish from yesterday. 

I'm one of those artists where my sketchbook is filled more with junk than every page or file is masterpiece...Less stress and more ideas no pressure to make every drawing good. When you redraw something it doesn't necessarily have to look the same or you can you reuse elements that you liked that didn't work in an old piece. 

I LOVE old buildings and hope to draw more.  

More Recent Tracks 

I contracted Covid-19 and am now recovered. 

Thankfully my case was mild and it didn't go severe. Even though I had it mild it takes a major toll on the body. I am in my 20s. I didn't want to be over confidant because I am young. I was scared because I have underlying conditions and am also a minority. Thankfully I did not have the fevers, cough or shortness of breath. It didn't get to my lungs.

I've was in quarantine for about 6 weeks. It's only been the last few weeks I've been able to leave my house. It is strange that I am no longer a hazard to society and contributing to the Herd Immunity. 

Even with my recovery I have lost 80% of my sense of smell. My taste has returned but it is slightly hindered because I cannot smell fully.

I 'm not a germaphobe but just cautious and aware. Crazy thing is I am always careful. I started wearing a mask right before the CDC recommended wearing one. I wipe my cart with clorox wipes, sanitize my hands when I go into the car.  Even before the pandemic I only like to go to the grocery store when itsnot busy like at night, and also try to be in and out as quickly as possible. I hate being in the store for long periods of time

Back in May I had to go out of town because my bank card wasn't working. I couldn't wait 7-10 business days since I had to pay rent. So I went to Albuquerque, NM, which is a hotspot in my state. I got it by community spread because I have no idea where I got it or been in any known contact with any infected person. My guess is I got it from touching half the atms in my town, or the bank, or the grocery store I went to. 

Honestly I believe wearing a mask saved my life and shielded me from getting Covid-19 severely. The CDC is saying part of the formula is how long exposed and how high the concentration of the virus.

Wherever I was exposed at it wasn't for a very long time. I was appalled when I went to the bank more than half of the people did not have a mask on despite the area being a hot zone. And this was a military bank. 

It took 12 days for symptoms to appear for me. It started with a ever so slight loss of taste and then gradually over that week I lost my taste completely along with my sense of smell. At first I was in denial and thought I was being paranoid. I tested the theory by smelling my trash can, I could not smell any funk. The test that was the eye-opener was eating a sandwich with chopped garlic 4 times the usual amount. I could not smell or taste the garlic, except the tingling sensation of eating too much garlic. 

For sure something was wrong. 

During the incubation time I had migraines, muscle pain, MASSIVE fatigue, brain fog. I kind of dismissed this as part of my auto-immune disease but I was uncertain because those are Covid symptoms as well. 

On day 6 was the day that made me want to go get a covid test. I woke up that morning with a slight sore throat and that was the thing that freaked me out. Unfortunately it was a holiday weekend and I had to wait a few extra days to go get tested. 

Day 9 was the day I got the test. It was frustrating because I had to call 3 different places and no one knew what the dafuq to do. I understand people say they have symptoms when they don't. But I was dead serious.I tried to follow the guidelines for the CDC where they mention call your primary doctor first. I called my primary and they only did tests once a week by appointment only. The next available was the week after and I feared if I waited too long my test wouldn't come up positive.

I was persistent with the receptionist if the hospital was the same, and she gave me advice on what to say to be seen quicker. 

I called the local hospital twice. First time there was some kind of mix up and they hung up on me! Then I called again and they referred me to the ER. Where the receptionist told me to get a quicker test I would have to admit myself to the ER. 

Honestly I have past trauma going to the ER. I was terrified if I was admitted I wouldn't be able or allowed to go home. I went to the ER in the past and my emergency contact and nearest relative was indifferent to my traumatic experience and even told me nasty things. A gaslighter will tell you that your medical conditions are all made up and such even what you have going on is real.

Anyway it took me an hour after the phone call to actually go to the hospital, which is around the corner from my house. Like the stages of grief by the time I decided that I was going to get a test I accepted the fact I was infected with covid-19...but I still bawled my eyes out. I figured I'll cry all the tears I had so I wouldn't cry when I got to the hospital. Nope. That tactic did not help, still cried at the hospital. 

 

When I got to the hospital they give temperature checks and testing is prioritized if you have symptoms. My local hospital does not let you into the building if you have symptoms. You are directed into an outside tent, where you call a number on a slip of paper and check in with the ER. 

The nurse who tended to me was an angel in a PPE uniform. After all my frustrations she made my experience pleasant. She helped me to calm down. One of the things I remember her saying was that its scary with the news with everything going on and 80% of the cases are mild and can be treated and managed with at home care. Drink plenty of fluids and take tylenol for pain and fevers. Do not take any cold medicines, there have been studies but not enough where it can make things worse by helping the virus grow.

Everyone always asks me about the test. I had the swab test that goes up your nose. The pain level is a 4. To this day I wonder if I was distracted because I was bawling my eyes out that I did or did not feel the swab entirely. It was weird because after she said it was done I felt the sensation of the swab in my nose still. I kind of knew what to expect, a few days before I went in I saw Andrew Cuomo get a test on tv. It is quick and easy. Like any kind of test it depends on the hands of the nurse if its painful or not.  

The last thing the nurse told me when I left was remember to do something good for yourself. I told her I bought chocolate cake earlier but unfortunately I could not taste it, but I knew its still cake. Since then I had to go to the hospital for other things and haven't ran into that nurse. I really want to thank her for everything she did. 

It took 3 days for someone to call me back about my results. It was positive. I joked with the nurse that called that honestly I would've been more surprised if my test came out negative. We had a nice chat, I didn't freak out because I already accepted my fate. She also called about contact tracing. It simple and easy for me, since March the only places I go to is the store and the athletic park around the corner from my house. I haven't seen my friends in person since we all take social distancing seriously. Unless it is at the store or park. 

The people I was worried about was a 2 of my friends during the 2 week incubation, we ran into each 

at the park and walked around for about an hour. The park is the only place I won't wear a mask, and my friends were not wearing one. I was concerned 1 of my friends was also considered at risk. She ended up getting a test before going into surgery and hers was negative. Thank God. It feels shitty enough as it is to realize you yourself are sick but I can only imagine being sick and spreading the virus to someone you love or care for would be devastating. 

Just because you are young doesn't mean you are invincible or it lessens your chance of getting Covid. Even Rudy Gobert who is my age still can't smell and his Doctor told him that it possibly would take a year for him to recover. 

-To be continued in Part 2! -

Please be careful, safe and take care everyone. 

Songs I've been listening to

One thing I love about Concept Art is I like doing research. Also it gives me an excuse to look at pictures of random stuff and feed my imagination. My interest in history and art helps with the story telling process. 

Right now these past few weeks I've been doing  Viking themes, drawings and research. 

Along with my theme - Treasure room - Tomb - are the keywords to the story I want to convey.

Vikings historically would steal stuff and weren't really self sufficient.   

Their boats were light enough that some parts could be taken off and the boats were also light enough to carried by the vikings. They reaped havoc in early Britain by traveling and raiding riverside villages. Their raids were not predictable, they would pop up out of no where and leave quickly. 

These are just bare bones thumbnails but they already read composition-wise. 

Each one of these has the potential to become a full concept or illustration. 

I am practicing quick but solid sketching. 

The more work you do in the beginning stages it sets the stage and structure of the illustration.  

Strengthening one thing then you realize you need to work on improving something else. Man everything is a balance. Now I need to work on my rendering skills. 

Random songs I've been listening to.