After the last few winters in a very moderate climate (Mexico & California), I am not handling the cold too well. Yes, I have all the heavy coats, gloves and hats to handle it from bygone eras – but winter sucks.
So as I made little progress with my photographic pursuits, I decided I’d try some indoor artistic activities – pencil sketching and acrylic painting – granted, at a beginner’s level.
I ordered the paints and canvases two weeks ago, later realizing one needs a basic ability to sketch out one’s intent before splattering a canvas in multicolors. OK, then I ordered a set of both black and colored Nicole Pencils, made now in Taiwan (with packaging made in China).
To my surprise, the Strathmore Sketch Pad I ordered was made in Neenah, Wisconsin – which is like a hop away from my home town, which happens to be in the heart of the good old USA. A paper product still made in the US – who would of thunk!
The plan is to take baby steps in pencil sketching and acrylic painting to manage this thing called winter – full well knowing that one of the products was made with Wisconsin trees!
Meanwhile, as the New Year approaches, the quest for fitness rears its ugly head. So I bought a FitBit Flex and blue-toothed it to my iPhone 5S. It is now forever a part of my right wrist!
I suspect in a decade or less smartphones will be as doomed as CDs, and the China made hardware will simply be implanted into the side of our skulls. Batteries will be recharged and firmware upgraded as we sit on the toilet.
Until then, I am enjoying the Smartphone revolution. But one wonders as I sync my daily walking steps from my FitBit to my iPhone, if the NSA is forwarding that info to healthcare.gov to determine my health insurance rates for 2015? Brave New World!
