I've never much enjoyed the sensation of waking up. Not generally. There's the moment when the alarm hits you full force, that blaring angry noise refusing to let you sit in your slumber. And sometimes you can simply slam the switch and give yourself a respite, but you still know the sound is coming. You know that morning has arrived and you can't escape it. So you sit there. Not getting up, not going back to sleep, merely savoring the warmth of the covers, and cursing the solitude. For no matter how small or large your bed is, it always seems too empty. And a minute passes. And then another. And you think to yourself, "I don't have to get up this morning. I don't have to get up any morning." But you do. The option to remain in bed is like the option to dance naked in front of your parents -- while it's a physical possibility, it's not one you're very likely to do. Maybe you have a window, and maybe you look out it, and gaze at the day, wondering (or fearing) what it will hold. Will things go your way? Will it all fall apart? And wouldn't you be much more content just sleeping? But you can't... that is morning. My morning, your morning, the morning of humanity. Doesn't matter. It's all the same. A morning is a morning.

It'll be a short day in the office today. We're getting less and less daylight these days, which means to give Erin fencing lessons I have to leave earlier so we can practice while it's still at least semi-lit outside.

I expect to post the first part of "Barrenhollow Blues" on Wednesday or so. I've scrapped three beginnings thusfar, trying to get it right, trying to get it to match up with the images in my head. Sumbitch. I'll get it, though. I have to. It's just taking a bit more time than I expected it to.

Joe's got 2/3rds of the first page now and he's really come a long, long way... The third panel is VERY impressive. He's gotten a hell of a lot better over the last year and is finally learning to adapt his style to whatever the story calls for. I wasn't sure he'd be able to pull off this idea that we're working on, as the way it's written calls for a lot of dark shots, lots of heavy lighting contrasts and I, quite frankly, had my doubts of whether or not Joe would be able to pull it off. The first panel was very good, the second one was more artistic than I expected (although it does match up with how it's written) but the third panel... the third panel showed that Joe's really grown as an artist. I can't wait until page one is done and we can pass it up to Greg for inks and down to Erin for lettering. It's gonna look incredible.

Anyhow, I'm gonna jet and get lunch here pretty quick. This whole Subway diet thing actually works. No lie. I can look at myself in the mirror again without complete self-loathing... maybe a little still, but not complete.

As Silent Bob says... "Do something."

NOW PLAYING: Taking Back Sunday - "You're So Last Summer"
Lyrics: "And all I need to know / Is that I'm something you'll be missing / Maybe I should hate you for this / Never really did ever quite get that far / Maybe I should hate you for this / Never really did ever quite get that... / I'd never lie to you / Unless I had to / I'll do what I got to / Unless I had to / I'll do what I got to, the truth... / is you could slit my throat / And with my one last gasping breath / I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt......"