Clap Twice

A Postin' Storm

2011-02-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

I've been posting a ton on my Tumblr blog. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already.

I take it back

2011-01-30T13:26:00.001-08:00

I think I'm going to keep adding to this blog AND the tumblr. Clap Twice is more textual, and my tumblr blog will be more visual.

That is all.

I might be switching to Tumblr

2011-01-30T00:54:00.001-08:00

I just discovered Tumblr and I'm considering switching to that for blogging. It's just so much easier. I don't have to think about how big my images are and whether they'll look good or not... and Tumblr is just so gosh darn sexy looking.

Here's my tumblr in it's infant stages:

tomthinks.tumblr.com

Of course, this blog will stay up, but if you get tired of not seeing new stuff here, try the tumblr.

Edges

2011-01-27T23:38:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I was working on an animation. It's funny, because since then I came up with another idea and it's done. It's short and I like it. It's called "Edges."

Time Keeps On Going

2011-01-24T23:56:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a new animation. It's about a man trying to hypnotize a bear to make him some breakfast. Here's a screenshot: http://twitpic.com/3t7cob

Also, I created a new youtube account to store all my old Flash animations, so that people with smart phones can view them.

There's a dead fly on my table.

I created BoredBears.com. Bored Bears are decorative desk accessories that watch you while you work. They are bored and want to go home, just like you. They're very cute. I'll be selling them on Etsy soon.

Countown to Christmas

2010-11-24T14:43:00.001-08:00

As you may, or may not know, I started a new job last September for a company called Smilebox. They make it easy to share photos and videos online in customizable e-cards. My job is to design, build, and animate them. For the holidays, I had the opportunity of creating this fun advent calendar style e-card titled "Countdown to Christmas." Unlike an advent calendar, you're encouraged to open all the doors at once, but it's got a lot of fun art, animation and sounds behind each door, so Check it out:

The voices for characters were done by Jessica and I. Thanks to Susan, who created a lot of the artwork. If you enjoyed Countdown to Christmas, feel free to download Smilebox and make your own e-cards. It's free to share through email, but if you want to print things--you have to buy a subscription.

Sledding in Seattle

2010-11-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

I love snow. It snowed this week in Seattle, so I spent some time out in it. Here's a little video I made about some sledding I witnessed at Gasworks Park:

Scooter Bozo

2010-09-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Something I drew on the bus.. A scooter bozo.

Up up up date

2010-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello. I owe you an update.

1. I started a new job last week at a company called Smilebox. They're an online-greeting card and scrap-booking company located in Redmond, WA. I'll be doing animation and illustration for their cards and products. It's a great opportunity for me to focus and do some fun animation. The first week went really well and I like the people I work with. I work in a team with 6 or 7 other animators/illustrators. It's comforting to be in a team that all does similar tasks. At my last job, I was the only in-house person that could do Flash, so it was a little bit lonely.

The commute is kinda hard. On a good day it takes about an hour and 10 minutes each way. On sunny days, I like to get off the bus early and ride my scooter the rest of the way. I'm getting more exercise!

2. As I mentioned in the last post, I purchased the iPhone 4, which has made it immensely easier to maintain a web presence. I love that I can take a photo anywhere I am, and immediately share it. I had been getting bogged down with the process of looking through things I've made or photos I'd taken, scanning stuff, uploading, blabla, but the phone makes things pretttty instant and easy. The only issue I'm having so far is tendonitis in my right wrist. I bought a stylus to help with that. I'm becoming an old man. If you want to keep up with all my old man shenanigans, follow me on Twitter.com/tomthinks.

3. Jessica and I are going on a trip to Iceland next week! If you're reading this and you live in Iceland, send me a message so we can hang out. We'll be in Reykjavik from the 14th to the 19th. Jess and I are really excited!

Bug

2010-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Me and the bug.

Oh! I got an iPhone 4, so I can post neat things on the go, which is great, because I haven't been posting at all!

Jiggle Head

2010-07-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Cat Fight

2010-07-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Renton and Reuben got into a little fight the other day in our kitchen.

New Spot

2010-07-01T12:01:00.001-07:00

This is a still from a new TV spot that I animated that is currently airing in and around Colorado. Once it's posted to Youtube, I'll post the link.

Oh, and my car is all fixed, so that's nice.

I Got Rear Ended

2010-05-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yep. A certain Seattle touring bus rear ended me on my way to work last Friday.

ah hah!

2010-05-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,

Proverbs 30:7-8

Painting Tim

2010-03-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to color this portrait of Tim. I like the portrait. I like Tim.

I've been worn out, but this was a comforting task.

'90s Home Movie: The Rescue of Kelly

2010-03-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

This was made summer of '94 I believe. Probably after watching Hot Shots Part Deux on HBO a million times. My older brother Jason (the star) and Craig directed it, and I shot it (sorry). This is a fairly personal home movie, but hopefully there's something everyone can enjoy about it. At the very least the memory of being silly kids in the '90s.

The video was 10 minutes long, full of meandering bleh, so I cut it down to a bearable 4 minutes and through in some random bonus footage. I love my family.

Tom Sings His Songs

2010-03-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Last night I scanned several photos I had taken with my Holga. I posted a few of them on Facebook. My Grammy-nominated awesome designer friend Jordan Butcher was tickled enough by the above photo, that he quickly threw together this fake album cover. I'm so enamored with it, I'm thinking of writing the album to live up to it. Great song names Jordan!

Jessica's New Website

2010-03-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

My talented and lovely wife, Jessica, just launched her new website, which she designed and built completely by herself! If you were familiar with her old site, you'll be delighted to see tons of new work. If you've never gone to her site before, then you'll be delighted anyways. Good job Jess!

Fun Facts

2010-03-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Half the visitors of this blog end up here by searching for "green chair" in google image search.

Also, at least 150 people a month go to my tomthinks.com website by searching for "bradley nowell."

It's a little bothersome being found this way, but I guess it's better than not being found at all.

Birds!

2010-03-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is a short documentary about a woman named Monica and her 40+ birds. I shot the footage over a year ago, but only got around to editing it yesterday. Monica lived a couple houses up the street from us.

How I Learned to Flip

2010-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here's one from the archives. 1993, the year I learned to flip backwards. I used to set up elaborate padding systems with the use of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. It was a little scary doing it in the hallway, but I didn't have a choice, it was dark outside.

Film Festival Intro

2010-02-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

I made this to inform and inspire others at my work to participate in an internal film festival.

Tree Man

2010-02-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I made this. It is very silly and ends hastily.

Yay for animation

2010-02-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

The above is a 30 second spot I animated/voiced (the characters). Hope you like it!

Toilet Roll Holder PSA

2010-01-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

I'm on a video-making roll. Made this today to help encourage employees to be considerate and reload the toilet roll instead of setting it on top of the holder. Very crucial. I'm starting to love this flipcam. It's so easy, no focusing! The only downside is something got inside it, like a piece of dust--you can see it in every shot at the bottom/center.

Culture

2010-01-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today at work we made a quick movie about culture. I think I play a pretty good casual dude.

We made it with a flipcam and shot it in about 15 minutes. Spontaneous.

Dreams Do Come True

2010-01-06T02:22:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I know!

In recent years, I've had to repress my acrobat tendencies, because there wasn't a "safe" environment for it. BUT, that's over now. AND I will never have need for a gym membership, unless it's this gym: Sky High Sports, in Bellevue. It's got a trampoline arena, foam pit, and dodge ball area. It's $11 for an hour, and that's about all you need. It's been 24 hours since I went, and I can still feel it, but it's a good feeling.

They allow shoes, or bare feet, but no socks. I went bare, but I want to wear shoes next time. I scuffed my ankle up a bit and blisters were forming under my toes.

Major fun. Try it out!

Murry Crustmush

2009-12-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

This post is a few days late, but it doesn't matter. Merry Christmas to you! And/or Happy New Year! Jess and I haven't been able to get organized enough to send out a card to friends/family. We're slackers I guess, but we took this photo in hopes of getting half-way toward achieving a Christmas card. The photo is a long exposure, about 12 seconds, but we shot two photos... one of each of us while the other waved a flashlight beam in the other's face. Ugh, I'm not very articulate. Sorry for my clumsy description.

Aside from taking photos, I haven't drawn or animated much since You Cried Me. I spent a lot of energy on it, and I think I'm still refueling.

In other news, I've been added to the director roster of Klasky Csupo's commercial division Ka-chew!

Wexley White Elephant

2009-12-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Click the image above to check out Wexley's online holiday card. I had the privilege of shooting all the videos and programming it. It's fun! It makes me want to be a hand actor.

Interview on WeLoveYouSo.com

2009-11-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I was also interviewed this week on Spike Jonze's blog: WeLoveYouSo.com. It started with a focus on "You Cried Me," but ended up being an all-around look at my work in general. Many thanks to Graham for writing the intro/interview questions!

Answering Questions

2009-11-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

This has been an exciting week for me. "Kid Show" is currently featured on Channel Frederator, and they just posted an interview full of great questions (and hopefully great answers).

Check it out "Kid Show" on the Channel Frederator Youtube channel. If my film gets the most views for the month, I'll receive $200, so feel free to spread the word or embed.

Many thanks to Frederator and Bailee DesRocher for asking me questions!

I did another interview this week, but it's not posted yet. I'll update this when it's posted!

Tallahassee

2009-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

My buddy Scott, whom I met at RISD, is part of a band called Tallahassee and they're releasing their first album, Wolfe Moon this week. Scott's face was on my last Clap Twice title image:

The hand is Anna's, who sung backup vocals for their song "Jealous Hands." Check it out at their blog. It's beautiful. Thanks for posting it Scott!

blind bed

2009-11-06T00:56:00.000-08:00

Greetings. I'm currently floatiny bedo. Blind typing again. Will the wireless signal make it through the wall? I hope so.I've noticed something recently. When I work really hard on animation, and focus, .. and if it's been a few hours, I start to hear things in my head. Nothing from me, but its quiet, faint and sometimes turns out to be advertisements. Sometimes real ads, sometimes made up ones. It's an automatic flow. It's eerie to listen to. The feeling of tapping into, instead of creating..

The current title photo is a shot taken during a power outage on my block, well, more my whole neighborhood. It was great. I mean, it scared the crap out of jess and I, because there was a huge boom at the city light place (across the street from us). Jess screamed and slutched for me. The lights were out. I remembered where a flashlight was. Grabbed it. Lit candles. It was fun. Fun fun. Unusual. Interuptions are good. Excuses to detour.

I'm lying here with my eyes closed. I zoned out for a while. It is late. Jess is snoring in a lovely way.

--
Now back at the computer. It worked again! Wow, I'm impressed with this wireless keyboard. I'm leaving the misspellings and errors above.

You Cried Me

2009-11-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

I made a music video. It's for Jookabox's newest album Dead Zone Boys. The song is called "You Cried Me." It's a great song, and great album as well. Check it out.

I animated the video entirely in flash with my wacom tablet. Jessica assisted me with visuals and ideas. This usually consisted of me turning around and saying "Jessica, can I get your opinion about this?" Some of her responses included "His heads too fat." or "Leave it be-- I think you're overthinking it."

I'm excited about it and hope this is a kickoff to more animation and storytelling.

Blind Wondering

2009-10-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but I am in my living room. I'm typing this with a wireless keyboard. I can't sese the screen. I honestl don't know if this is evenven being typed. The wirelesss. Hmmmm. I can't really delete things that weren't working out. I have to just go with what's here. Candid.

I find blindness intriguing. I guess it's a good way to interrupt any . I just throught so long that I forgot where i left off. What I meant was that blinding yourself makes yyou. It's vulnerable. All the "togetherness" , or image of togetherness is put aside.

Typing with a a screen keeps your mind refreshed on what you've already said. What would the effect of always doing it this way? Is it good for the mind? Would it improve my memory?

I still don't know if any of this has gone through. A part of me is scared--that this is all in vanin vain.. Who cares. It was my birthday yesterday. I'm 25. I feel just the same as I've always been. I hear people ask "--or, nevermind, I heard people SAY "Gosh, I'm [age], I'm so old." I don't feel old yet. I just feel current.

I'm going to go check now.

Holy smokes, it worked. Ha ha, I didn't write as much as I thought I had.

Octobrrrrr

2009-10-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

The above is a still from a new animation project I'm working on. It should be done in a few weeks. It's a music video.

The air is cold. It's Fall. My birthday is coming up on the 7th... feeling cozy.

I've been reading the book of Luke. If you've ever wanted a straight-forward look at who Jesus is, I recommend it.

I'm thankful for the mercy of the vinedresser in this parable from Luke 13:

And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Color

2009-09-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with coloring my drawings.

Want to have a cup of coffee?

2009-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

The above drawing, or at least the right side of it, was inspired by a guy I met on the street yesterday named Kirk. I'm happy about it. I forgot how weighty true character is. I had lost faith in them for some time.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I'm reading Embracing the Wide Sky by Daniel Tammet. It's blowing my mind.

Lots of my personal projects are piling up. I need to improve, or acquire, time management skills.

Just got back from Boston. It was good to see "old" friends. Old, because they're friends from college, but not detached. I'm excited that our bonds haven't weakened, even though we see each other about once or twice a year.

I've been struggling with a condition for the past 10 months. I'm not quite ready to share it with the world, except for the fact that it's improving.

Heat Is A Thief

2009-07-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're not from Seattle, you ought to know that we just escaped a heat wave. Of course there are hotter places on earth, but Seattle is never prepared for any kind of extreme weather. Wednesday was 103 degrees and I had no sanctuary of cold, cool air. Work and home were both furnaces. My only relief was going to Green Lake after work with my friend Tim and Jessica, and Jessica. The above photo was taken by Tim.

The photo is a pretty good expression of what the heat was doing to me. I'd been having a very hard time thinking. Everything was off balance and difficult.

It was so hot in our apartment that I couldn't use my computer. It automatically shut off to prevent over-heating. Work was sluggish. Nothing seemed worth doing.

But it's in the 70s and 80s today. It's over. Yay. Suddenly I have this burst of motivation to do things!

Complexities of Life

2009-06-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

I like this photo a lot. I like it for several reasons. A big reason is that it's of my beautiful wife. Another reason is the pained expression on her face. Why would I like that? Because it's unique. The photo has weight. I'd like to think that a good photo expresses a lot about what you're not seeing.

Stop and think to yourself why she might be having that expression. Did I ask Jess to pose with that emotion? Feel free to post a comment of what you think.

The truth is that the photo actually is an honest moment of clashing emotions. For the preceding minutes, I'd been taking photos of her in the living room in her pretty dress. She was delighted at the attention, and I was excited about the wonderful lighting.

Then we heard a little ripping sound coming from the couch. I swung around and saw Renton (the cat) digging his claws into our new sofa. I yelled, he darted into our studio, I went after him, but as I entered the studio, he was running back out again and I went to stop him with my foot and ended up kicking him pretty hard. In the face.

I could feel myself bubbling inside with anger and shame as Renton darted toward the kitchen. I turned around and looked at Jess. Even in the despair of that moment, I recognized the opportunity and took the photo before Jess had a moment to move.

I couldn't just ignore the fact that I had kicked Renton in the face, so then I went off to look for him. I didn't have to look far--he was under our bed. It took a while to get him out. I looked at his face, which was fine. No damage. No kitty tears. I was relieved, but anchored by regret.

So that's the story behind the picture. I will give $5 to anyone who thought that before reading the truth.

Oh, and in case you were wondering why Jess was all dolled up, we recently celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary. It's been a great 3 years. I'm looking forward to the next 60ish.

One more heart-felt tid bit: I went skating with my longboard today. I've had a harder time having fun with it the last couple years. I don't really have the time or the balls to do crazy stuff anymore, so sometimes I get bored with it.

Today I decided to switch it up and ride goofy instead of regular. For anyone who is unfamiliar, that means that I usually ride with my left foot forward (called Regular) but I rode the opposite (called Goofy) today.

Why is that significant? It's basically like throwing away 14 years of cultivated skateboard coordination and returning to the fear of a wobbling beginner. Usually it'd frustrate me, but today I embraced it. When you start over, victories are easier to come by, since it doesn't take as much effort to get as far as you were before. It was theraputic for my mind and body.

It's like breaking both your arms and then being overcome with joy because you wrote a poem by tapping computer keys with your nose.

Those little victories happen everyday, all day long, but I take them for granted.

Don't forget that breathing is a victory.

"Actually Tom, I forgot already. That's such a lame Hallmark card thing to say. You suck."

Yep, I suck BIG time.

Cowboy

2009-06-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is a little animated documentary about cowboys.

Toil Nor Spin

2009-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

30 Second film about going to the Tulip Festival with Paul and Charity.

Vacation

2009-05-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed good weather these past few days. Jess and I are currently in Stow, MA visiting her parents. We visited New York City for a few days before we got here. Good times.

Although I much enjoy vacations like these, I feel as if I don't really absorb them. When I'm on vacation, it's like my job and normal routine cease to exist, but not in a comforting way. I don't recline and say "Awe, this feels so good, because I'm usually at work right now."

It's like work never existed. It doesn't even surprise me.

Then when I return to my job, it's as if my vacation was a dream.

What's the deal?

I think part(most) of the dissatisfaction arises from the fact that my idea of vacation is based on fantasy. This vacation ideology is probably just a mash-up of all the summer vacation films I saw in the '80s and early '90s.

The funniest part is that this has been a great vacation: I've spent time with friends and family that I missed greatly, spent hours in the sun, swam in a bay alone during a thunderstorm, recorded audio and video of bees, stayed in NYC for free, etc.

I take it for granted so easily. Then I over-think it and get myself down for it not feeling like the movies. What a bunch of bullshit.

Be careful not to compare your vacations (and life!) to the movies. It feels like a subtle influence, but it can run very deep in your ideas.

Kid Show, Big and Beautiful

2009-05-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

So a year or two ago, I uploaded Kid Show to youtube and it looked like a piece of crap. I patiently waited for compression qualities to improve on video portals like youtube, and the waiting has finally paid off, thanks to vimeo.com. You can now watch Kid Show, BIG, and CLEAN, in STEREO (ooooo) on vimeo.com. So for those of you who always watched the tiny, crappy version on my website, this should be a treat for you.

Also, I've been very inspired by The Mighty Boosh. If you've never heard of it, watch some clips on youtube. It's a silly, British, surrealistic, comedy show.

Victoria BC 2009

2009-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Jess and I went on a little 4-day vacation in Victoria, BC. The above is a little mini-documentary of the trip. Over half the video is from our last night, which we spent with Brandon Velestuk and his friend Jason. We stayed up drinking beer, discussing film, art, and Victoria. It was a great trip.

Our hotel was amazing. We swam everyday and I actually was able to teach Jess to swim 10 feet! We need to find a local pool so she can continue her practice. Good job Jess!

About Dogs for real

2009-04-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe it's not my comeback film, but it's a silly film and I hope to make more soon. Hope you enjoy it.

It was a challenge to control the look of things since I was in the video. Jess helped me out though. One of these days I want to actually write a script down and use actors so I can control the composition at every point.

But so far I'm only able to write things down after I've shot footage. I react to the visuals. I've yet to just write something into existence.

Oh and you'll probably realize that About Dogs is actually about cats. This was intentional. My conceptual answer for it is that I'm experimenting with internet misinformation.

Girl In Front of A House

2009-04-16T14:06:00.001-07:00

Interesting street view on google maps. It's like a painting. Way to go, google maps.

About Dogs

2009-04-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a film about cats. It's called About Dogs. Should be done soon, because I already have it edited, just need to do some audio tweaks and edits. The above is not a still from the film, but was taken moments before I started filming.

It's my comeback film.

Also, I am now doing music under the pseudonym Dynamote. Check out dynamote.com for a song. The song is called Time For Bed. Let me know what you think. I don't think it's very good. I've decided not to care about trying to make quality/clever songs anymore; just honest ones. And if for now, honest means poor/boring/amatuer, then OK. Sold. There's no other way.

It's 5am AGAIN but it feels kinda good.

John Raux

2009-03-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

Meet John Raux. Artist, explorer, and Etch A Sketch genius. The above photo is a portrait he did of me while I was at work. Click on it to see it big.

John is from Kansas City, but he's in town for a wedding, so Jess and I have enjoyed spending a little time with him. He crashed at our house the other night and we almost killed him with our cats. We got the wrong allergy medicine, so he was coughing and wheezing all night long. Sorry John!

In other news, life has been really up and down lately. I'm glad that God is always good, because if it weren't for him, I'd have gone insane for sure.

Jess and I are still keeping an eye open for a house to buy.

I'm really into chess now. I've been playing for a couple weeks. I'm not very good yet, but I really enjoy it.

Cats Are Stupid

2009-03-15T12:47:00.001-07:00

In less than 24 hours, our new chair has sustained more damage than it had experienced in its previous 45 years of life.

Cats are stupid.

Green Chair

2009-03-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Behold the newest addition to our living room:

Inc. and Lost Beer

2009-02-25T01:29:00.000-08:00

...Not every potential client is ready. A while back, Jansport came by. Jansport makes backpacks. Tom Deslongchamp, who is an art director but, like everyone else at Wexley, is agile and contributes to pretty much everything, put on a white jumpsuit and a top hat and squeezed himself into a gigantic Jansport bag that sat in the corner of the upstairs conference room. When Jansport's marketing reps arrived, Deslongchamp hopped out of the bag and handed over the presentations. Perhaps it was a little much -- Wexley didn't get the job. Which is OK. Either you get what Wexley is selling -- a very particular sensibility and approach toward marketing -- or you don't.

The above excerpt is from an article about Wexley School for Girls (my employer) in the March issue of Inc. Magazine.

I'm trying to figure out how to datamosh(watch in HD). I can do it sloppily, but nothing close to the quality in that Chairlift video.

Jess and I are looking for a house to buy.

Here's a flyer I saw taped to a utility box:

coffee

2009-02-16T11:55:00.001-08:00

I just experienced an epiphany:

The days that I have coffee, stuff gets done.

Oh no..

I don't want another expense. I don't want to rely on it. I guess I'm old now.

someone help

Reuben Can Fetch

2009-01-31T23:38:00.000-08:00

Reuben Can Fetch from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

Check it out--my cat can fetch! He can do it forever. He must have dog genes.

Animal Massage

2009-01-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

Animal Massage from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed the experiment above. Jess was giving me a back massage, and it hurt so bad that I thought it'd be funny to record it. All the animals, except for Reuben the cat, are from PETCO.

I'm starting to feel like I'm in a place to make something substantial again. By substantial, I mean something that takes more than one evening to create. Kid Show is finished, from a festival standpoint, and it's time to make something new. I'm planning on doing some kind of live-action short, because that's the language I've been using lately... thanks to my new camera.

I'd like to write something original, but I was thinking about trying an adaptation. It might help me get my own gears rolling. I've been thinking of using some Richard Brautigan, because his writings are short/surreal snapshots of his life.

I'm going through a bit of a health trial at the moment. Nothing life-threatening, but worrisome. It's causing me some serious anxiety. I usually just ignore my anxious feelings, but these ones are a bit stronger. If you think to, say a little prayer for me--God will know what it's about.

Slow Down

2009-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

The above photo was shot through a jeep window. The girl on the left is my wife Jessica, and the girl on the right is my sister Jenee.

I've decided to slow down. In a certain way, I've decided to give up. I've been fighting for the last year. Fighting for time, always to be discouraged, because there wasn't enough. There will never be enough, so I decided to stop trying and just slow down for a while; let things happen naturally. Soon after deciding that, I found myself enjoying things more, because I wasn't worried about what I could be doing. The little times I have for art seem more potent, because I'm not competing with life itself.

In the words of James Murphy:

"You got to give it up--if you want to live it up."

Except he was talking about money, but I think it still applies.

I'm still creating things, but I'm not letting it stop me from spending time with people.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve '09 from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

Happy New Year! Above is a little video I put together with footage from my new years' eve at my brother's place in Seatac, WA. It's got laughter, drama, ice covered pool, blood, hugs, and an unintelligible "Auld Lang Syne." It was an interesting night. Thanks to everyone who made it a fun night.

I saw Clint Eastwood's "Grand Torino" last night. It was the first movie with a packed in audience that I had seen in a while. I forgot how great that is. The audience is so responsive, because it feeds off the movie then off it's own excitement. I really enjoyed the movie. Some of the acting wasn't that good, but the story was so great that I could overlook it. You come out of the film feeling 50% veangful and 50% humbled. Well... maybe more humble, but it was great. I haven't seen most of Clint Eastwood's films, but I'm glad I saw this one.

Snow

2008-12-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, there's a snowstorm hovering over half of the country. The above photo is from last night. It's my dad in his jeep. We went for an evening drive, partly to see if anyone was stuck, but mostly to exercise the power my dad feels when he climbs any snowy hill he desires. It was fun.

Sufjan Stevens' A Christmas Game

2008-12-10T00:25:00.000-08:00

The Sufjan Stevens Christmas Game is finished! Many thanks to Leeni, the chiptune artist that arranged some 8-bit versions of Sufjan's songs. Check out her myspace as well. Also, great thanks to Asthmatic Kitty Records and the Bents! Check out the game and let me know what you think! Oh, and there's a whole bunch of other Christmas stuff to play with/watch at xmas.asthmatickitty.com!

In the past, I've made two other 8-bit style flash games: Daily Danger and Tidal Wave. Check those out if you haven't. They're a little rough around the edges, but likable.

I'm a person who avoids drinking coffee... 1. because I don't like the taste and 2. because I don't want to rely on a drink to feel normal, but I'm succombing to its power through free starbucks peppermint mocha twist coupons! They're so tastey and they make me buzz like woody the woodpecker.

I'd probably feel a lot better if I just got more sleep. Maybe I'll try that.

palendrome

2008-12-01T14:20:00.001-08:00

I wrote a palendrome: Emo hot sagas to home.

I'm also really excited about the author Anne Lamott. I'm reading her book "Bird by Bird." She's like a female David Sedaris.

I'm working on another Asthmatic Kitty Records video game. Should be done by next week. It's for one of their artists named Sufjan Stevens.

I'm being sarcastic. Super stoked.

dark early

2008-11-24T10:52:00.001-08:00

It has come to my attention that this blog has recently become a look-at-what-i-did blog, instead of a collection of things going on in my life blog. I haven't really shared anything emotional recently or thoughtful. I don't think that's good.

Jess and I recently went to our friend Gala's Warm Blooded show. A lot of the drawings are finely rendered unusual animals. They're really fun to look at.

Gala is also a teacher at SPU and we were privileged to speak to her digital illustration class about our experiences as artists.

Check out Gala and her husband Zack's websites at:
zackandgalabent.com

Sweat

2008-11-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Sweat from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

Asthmatic Kitty Records is holding a music video competition for their artist Rafter, so I very quickly created this with my friend Tim at his house. It's kind of David Lynch-y, but pretty fun. Hope you enjoy it. Rafter is awesome and you should check his stuff out.

If you want to see some of the other music videos people have entered, check out the youtube group.

Judges for the contest include:
The Liars
Dan Deacon
Sasha Bareese - actress (American Pie, The Ring, Legally Blond, The Hulk, etc.)
Christine Starkman - Curator, Asian art - Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
the staff of Yo Gabba Gabba
Leslie Hall (of youtube fame)
Adrian Grenier - actor/musician

Tired

2008-11-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

Tired from Tom DesLongchamp on Vimeo.

I had a little fun with the new camera today. Hope you enjoy it. I didn't plan to use the song (Tired by LCD Soundsystem). It was actually playing on my stereo when I took the shot of Renton and I liked the feeling of it, so I ripped the song and played it for the rest of the montage.

I forgot the power of a new lens. For the past year I had been taking photographs and video with a fixed lens point-and-shoot camera. With my new camera, I feel like my view of the world has changed just by the new things I can capture.

D90

2008-11-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

I purchased a Nikon D90 from Amazon last week. My old camera died over a year ago, so it's been a major relief to have control over photos again. So far this camera has been great and I love that it has a video function.

My lovely wife Jessica has a card line that just appeared in ALL Starbucks, so keep your eyes out for that. It's a 4 card set and each card has a quote and some silhouetted graphics with color and pattern, similar to the Positively Green card line she did last year.

Rain

2008-11-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

The biggest raindrops on Earth were recorded over Brazil and the Marshall Islands in 2004 — some of them were as large as 10 mm.

Grampall Jookabox video game

2008-10-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I recently completed a video game for Asthmatic Kitty Records' newly signed artist Grampall Jookabox. I very much enjoyed making it and I'm looking forward to creating more.

Also, did some illustration for lolArts. The cats at the top of the page, and some other cats inside a booklet that was at the event in San Francisco.

I wasn't crazy--I was stupid.

2008-10-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Lee, Jessica, and I went tarping at Gasworks Park last Friday. It had been windy all day, until we arrived at the park. There were a few mild breezes and Lee experienced The Pull, but nothing substantial so it was a little disappointing. Lee said he's up for next time.

It was the 2nd time I had tarped since my accident. Some people think I'm crazy, but my answer to them is: I'm not crazy and never was, BUT... I was stupid and I'm a lot more careful now and I know when it's too windy.

Kid Show on TV

2008-10-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

Kid Show aired on the Nicktoons Network this evening. The above photo is from last weekend when Jess and I flew down to Burbank for the awards ceremony/creator's night. That there is a 4 foot LEGO statue of Spongebob Square Pants.

Kid Show didn't win any awards, but is eligible for an Audience Choice award, so go and vote for it if you can at http://nicktoonsnetwork.nick.com/nnaf/viewshorts.jhtml. You can only vote for the next 24 hours, so hurry. Thanks!

Stan Lee was the special guest at the event. He's such a cool guy. If you're not sure who he is, he's the guy that created Spiderman and the X-Men, etc. I'm the kind of person who can never think of a good question during a Q&A, but I managed to squeeze out a decent one: "At what point did you realize you HAD to do what you do?" and his answer lives on in my mind forever.

He said that he was about to quit. He had been doing comics for almost 20 years already, but they weren't his ideas. His wife suggested he make one his own way just to try it out before he quits. So he does, and it's a comic called The Fantastic Four. BANG

mah girl

2008-10-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

I got a good lady. Look at how nice she is. I love her so.

The photo was taken with a friend's Nikon D90. It's an unbelievable camera and I can't wait to get myself one. The camera can take HD video clips as well. Sweeet.

Also, something very unfortunate happened the other night. I went to pick up our 4 month old kitten, Rueben and he decided to freak out. Before I knew anything had happened, I had a claw straight through my lower lip, literally. It entered he top of my lip and popped out just below my lip, where normal skin starts. The worst part was that he couldn't get his claw out and I started screaming like an idiot and crying. Jess was in the other room thinking that I was just being a goof, instead of having a traumatic experience.

I clutched Rueben's arm and held it tight, so he couldn't rip my lip open and ran into the other room where Jess was. She saw what was up and started screaming. She held Rueben up for me while I tried unhooking my lip. It felt very similar to unhooking a fish from a hook. Finally I got myself free and ran to the bathroom to see what the damage was.

It bled a bit, but after about 10 minutes there was no blood and no pain really and it hasn't given me any trouble since. It's a great story and I can say that I involuntarily got my lip pierced by a cat. That's something very few people can say.

accipoem

2008-09-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Tom: everything is stopping

Tom: somehow we are still talking

Tom: but all my download/uploads are frozen

yessikaaa: what you wrote could be a poem

Cry Night

2008-09-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

I think I already mentioned this in a past blog, but you should see Snow Angels. I cried when I first saw it back in April at AFI Dallas. Jess and I watched it again tonight and man, I cried again. After it was over, we talked about it and I cried again. So did Jess. Cry night. Man.

It is easily one of the most moving films I've ever seen. By moving, I don't mean warm, fuzzy feelings. I mean, beautiful, tragic, delicate, crushing, ugh. Let the fact that I'm typing this way signify what I mean.

David Gordon Green directed the film. If you ever feel hardened like you can't cry, check out some of his films.

Super Punch

2008-09-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is me super punching at the beach in Gloucester, MA last week.

Hey, Jess and I are going to LA in a few weeks for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival Creator Night. If Kid Show won anything, they'll announce it that night, so it sounds like a lot of fun. Plus our plane tickets were super cheap, because of Virgin America.

Oh No Spider

2008-09-16T01:49:00.001-07:00

I found this huge spider in our stairwell the other day. It scared the crap out of me, but I had to capture it and take photos.

Jess and I just got back from a weeks visit to Boston to visit family and such. It was pleasant, although we both were sick the whole time. I saw No Country For Old Men for the first time. Wow. It was so original... it sucks you in and you want it to keep going forever.

Good news:

- Kid Show will screen on Nickelodeon's "Nicktoons" channel October 12th. I'll give more details later, but it's for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival, so that's exciting!

- Earl Boone Is Alive is part of Slamdance's Anarchy Short Film Competition for the month of September, so go watch it and vote for it! (requires registration at their site)Click here to see what it's competing against and click here for a direct link to my film.

-Kid Show is also going to screen at the Austin Film Festival in mid October. Not sure if I'm attending yet.

The Cat

2008-09-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

I made a quicky animation today. It's called The Cat Part 1. I need to do more of this.

Jess and I are going to Boston on Tuesday for 6 days. That'll be nice.

I'm quite tired.

Upside Down

2008-08-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is Mr. Josh Wakeman and I upside down at the SAM Sculpture Park. Thanks to Miranda Wakeman for taking this shot. Thanks to Josh's skull for being able to withstand his weight. Thanks to the giant cone for being orange.

Oh, and the grass, sky, buildings, etc.

LCD Sound System makes me want to jump. Check em out--you can listen to every song through the site.

I'm still at work, but I started going insane, so I had to blog. BLOOOG

Wow, you got messed up.

2008-08-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Most people who know me know about my tarping accident. And if you're not sure what I'm talking about, be sure to check out my tarping video. Anyways, I got nailed pretty badly when I tarped during a blizzard back in '06 (in Rhode Island). I fractured my skull, broke my elbow and shattered my kneecap, but compared to the guy in the following video, I think I lucked out alright. I got pretty banged up, but I don't think I was critical condition.

My fall was more like his first hit in the sand, because I landed on my feet, but the icy concrete was less forgiving.

Don't do these things in severe conditions, unless you're using a blanket.

Tricks

2008-08-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's nice to know that I'm still young enough to do a one handed hand-stand... even though I can only hold it for one second. These photos were taken in the Seattle Art Museum Sculpture Park.

I played Dr. Mario last night for a while and acheived a 359,400 point score (high speed setting), and if I had been recording the game, I would have been in 3rd place for the world record high score.

Polaroid Star

2008-07-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I was a Polaroid Star. Work had a lets-go-to-the-beach-for-the-afternoon afternoon and Cody brought the camera. I don't know what it was, but Cody and I were nailing these amazing shots in one take. The top one is of me springing over a badminton net. Cody laid in the sand to get that angle. The other photo is extreme ketchup-ing.

In two weeks, Kid Show will screen at the Frame Damage animation festival in Denver. Check it out if you're near there.

What's Next?

2008-07-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted. I wonder what's next.

The weather has been great. The other day I saw a cypress tree, which is unusual up here. Being a cypress in the northwest probably isn't easy.

I feel like a cypress in California that is trying to escape to Seattle to hide under clouds.

I am here. I'm just not a cypress.

What am I doing? I guess I forgot.

I was always the kid who ran home as soon as school was out.

And always tried to do the alternative assignments.

[I lost a little bit of soul this year. ]--revision: I felt like I lost some soul, but actually hadn't. (8-7-08)

Dooooonnnnooooovvvaaaannnnnn

2008-06-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Some of my coworkers and I got carried away with a panasonic hvx200 camera and it's slow motion feature.... and Donovan.

Animation Show Seattle

2008-06-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Jess and I went to the Animation Show! A lot of great animation, really inspiring, but most inspiring was the community of animators I was able to talk with. I asked Joel Trussell if he'd let me take an ugly picture of us both and he agreed. Joel has animated such music videos as War Photographer and Paris Is On. He's a great guy and I suggest you watch his animations if you haven't.

The other photo is stuffed with Anton Bogaty, Rebecca Moline, Matt from Plexipixel, as well as Robert May--voice talent for Don Hertzfeldt's Rejected, Lily & Jim, etc. I just about crapped by pants when I realized I was in the presence of the voice that spoke "my anus is bleeding!" I mean, Rejected was one of the kickers for me wanting to be an animator. Be sure to check out the Plexipixel blog for Matt's account of the evening, as well as beautiful photographs of the afore mentioned.

In other news, I've had this blog for over a year now and I'm excited that I've been able to keep up with it.

Oh, and I've also been married to Jess for two years. I hope I can keep that up too, sike! We're so happy I have to wear a frown mask at night to rest up for the next day.

ADAA

2008-05-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

The above image is a still from a nearly finished short Wexley + Digital Kitchen did for Microsoft. It was my first significant acting experience. I played a computer programmer who gets trapped with his friend in a world they programmed.

Also, the other day I was thinking it might be good to purchase my name .com, so I did. Check it out. As you can see, I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it yet. Oh well, it's real estate.

Also also, Kid Show is a finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards.

My Woman Fell

2008-05-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Jessica took a little tumble off the scooter. She was doing very well, but couldn't slow down fast enough and lost control. I ran toward her, frightened that she was hurt, but all she could do was complain about the grass stain on her jeans and shirt. I've never seen someone so fearfully driven to do laundry.

Good fall, Jess.

High Speed World Champion

2008-05-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Back in December, I achieved an official world record high score for a classic Nintendo game called High Speed. A month later, Nik Meeks topped my score, but now I'm back on top with a score of 23,390,650. Check it out on Twin Galaxies.

I was inspired by the film King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters to attempt holding a video game world record, or any record really.

Fink

2008-05-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the pages of the latest RISD Views magazine and read an interview with Mike Fink, a liberal arts teacher who's taught at RISD for fifty years. I never took a class with Mr. Fink, but I appreciated his insight. Here's an excerpt:

And I'm a believer.. ...in the fact that the less you control your thinking the better off you are, because if you don't have a sense of the absurd -- if you lose your sense of humor and start using bigger words and fancier references, you're going to lose your soul.

Lady On The Bus

2008-04-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

I was on the bus to go home from work. I found a seat next to a woman who was talking on her cell phone. I was a little annoyed, because I try to get off the phone as quick as I can if I get a call while on the bus. A few minutes after she was finished with the call, I noticed she was quietly weeping. I don't talk to people on the bus very often, so I felt awkward, but wanted to say something. It was none of my business, but I knew I couldn't sit there and pretend that she wasn't crying.

"You going to be ok?" I asked.

"Yeah *sniff* ... big news."

"Oh, sorry, I wish I had a tissue to give you."

Still crying, she joked "t's ok, it's what sleeves are for."

She couldn't stop crying and I couldn't do much more. I sat quietly and waited. Then I had a strange epiphany. I heard myself say "There is a veil over my eyes."

The crying woman was upsetting, but the interaction itself brought a peace to my heart. I thought about how fearful I am about speaking to people I don't know. I thought about how hard I try to keep to myself on the bus, or in public.

I wondered how many people on that bus were hurting in worse ways without any outward signs. I thought about how lonely I get on the bus.

It's so much better to reach out to people than to not, but my pride prevents me. I'm glad it was different this time.

Imagine a city known for it's humility.

Mt. Si and ROFLCon

2008-04-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Connie, Nathan, Jess and I hiked Mt. Si. There was still a bit of snow on top, so we had to slide down some of the trail. The view at the top was amazing, but hard to capture with a camera, so I captured it with one of my socks instead. If you come over to my house, I'll show you.

In other news, Kid Show screened at ROFLCon this past weekend, along with many other shorts. ROFLCon is a convention in Cambridge, MA focused on internet culture.

Wham

2008-04-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

A lot of great things happened at work last week.

The Two Little Ninja Dragons

2008-04-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is a film that my friend David and I made back in 1993. The title card in the beginning reads "The 2 Little Ninja Dragons." We thought we were the real deal. Maybe we were..

For whatever reason, the sound was all messed up with the video camera, so I put in some music by a musician I recently learned about called Birdie Hilltop. He has all his music available on his site. Check it out.

Daniel Johnston with Kid Show

2008-04-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I saw Daniel Johnston live for the first time. The show was amazing. If you've never heard of Daniel, be sure to rent The Devil and Daniel Johnston. It's a great documentary (and one of my favorite films) of his life and music.

The photos above are Daniel with a DVD of Kid Show and other animations. Whenever I put together a DVD, I hand-draw the cover. I didn't get to hand it to him personally, but my friend Andy Roulston and his brother Jonathan were photographing Daniel that night, so they were able to bring it to him and take these great pictures. Thanks Andy.

AFI Interview for Kid Show

2008-04-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Director Tom DesLongchamp Presents KID SHOW At AFI DALLAS 08 from AFI DALLAS on Vimeo.

I'm excited that they posted this interview, but then again, it's hard to watch yourself be interviewed. I could write a whole paragraph about how stupid I think I look and sound, but I'll just be quiet.

Also, Kid Show won the Jury Prize at the Columbia University National Undergraduate Film Festival. I'm stoked. Thanks CUNUFF.

AFI Dallas 2008

2008-04-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

My animation Kid Show screened at AFI Dallas this past week. The festival was unbelievable. I had my first encounters with red carpets, and Lexus shuttles.

At my first screening, they had to screen from DVDs, but my DVD had multiple films on it, and the projectionist accidentally chose the wrong film! I sat there, anticipating my film and suddenly Earl Boone Is Alive popped up on the screen! I yelled "Wrong one!" but they didn't stop it and the audience laughed the whole way through. Don't worry, Kid Show was screened soon after, so in the end, it was a total blessing. Two films at AFI! During the Q & A, the audience actually had more questions about Earl Boone Is Alive, but I love that animation, so I had a great time talking about it. I would have submitted it if it wasn't two years old.

I ran into Lee Kazimir, who I had also seen at Slamdance, but never met. His documentary, More Shoes, was my favorite film that I saw at AFI. Lee and I hung out for my last two days at the festival, along with Carl, Staci and Deidra. It was a great time. We all took photos, danced, and I drew some portraits of some of them. Staci and Deidra were the main actresses in a great film titled Disfigured. I hope to cross paths with all of them again.

Many thanks to Max Bell, who was my host in Dallas. Max showed me around, made me breakfast and we had some great conversations.

Also, Kid Show is screening at the Columbia University Undergraduate Film Festival in NYC this evening. Earl Boone Is Alive won most original film there last year.

John, Please.

2008-04-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Bryan, John, and I made a short film at work.

A Typical Day At Work

2008-03-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

There are times when you're at work, that you must do not-work. It doesn't complete a project, but it helps the human soul some how.

I enjoy doing this not-work.

Bear Wooo

2008-03-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get really antsy and have to make something, however ridiculous it might be. For March 24th, 2008, it's an animation called What I Wanna Do.

Other times you just have to climb a big wooden bear, as the photo illustrates. I wasn't really antsy--tipsy is the better word.

Kid Show Poster

2008-03-15T01:24:00.001-07:00

Jessica, my amazing wife, helped me make this great poster for Kid Show when it screens at AFI, and any other festival after. She's such a good designer.

I painted today for the first time in a while. It was a good process. I forgot how good it feels to experience the back and forth of frustration and joy when I paint. When I'm done, I'm exhausted, but I feel peaceful, like I've added a new chunk to the pile of clay in my head. I also appreciated the freedom of how a painting can develop. I wove in and out of meaningful forms and abstract whatever. The painting is about sitting outside and feeling great about the mountains and flowers. I sound so flowery. All this talk about feeling good and great and joyful, and painting.

The ghost of accident past has come upon me and I am experiencing strange pain in my knee. It's unusual, because it hurts below my kneecap and on the side--not anywhere at the actual joint. I think I'm going to go to the doctor soon, as long as I can figure out who my doctor is!

Also, I will be seeing one of my favorite musicians next month, Daniel Johnston. Jess and I are really pumped.

Current Events

2008-03-12T17:21:00.001-07:00

This photo is of Jessica and I enjoying beverages at the Wexley Quantum Leap Year Grand Opening Party. How nice.

Kid Show is going to screen March 30th and April 1st at AFI Dallas, which is the American Film Institute Film Festival held in Dallas. If you're in or around Dallas, and you're thinking of coming, give me a shout.

I have to go eat food and wine.

Imagining Feelings

2008-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here is an AIM conversion converted to motion picture film script:

TOM
For two seconds I felt how it would
feel to know there was absolute proof
that aliens existed.

JESSICA
 (laughing) Why?

TOM
 I was looking at a stupid picture of doctors
and nurses surrounding an alien on a stretcher.
It looked so fake and dumb, but then I
imagined if an alien was actually found,
and  how it'd be on major news and out in the open,
 and how I'd call my mom and be like "How about that."

TOM (Cont'd)
And I actually knew how it'd be to feel
that fear and excitement,
 but it's gone now and I can't
imagine it anymore.

Cowboy Salvation

2008-02-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

There was an incident, or nearly and incident last night. Here's what I wrote about it in my sketchbook:

I almost fought a man tonight. He was yelling at a woman. He threw his bike at her. She screamed, and I started to run towards them while screaming "Hey!" I told him to stop. He turned and yelled and came towards me. He was very evil and blind. I backed away a little. I thought to myself, "Wow, I'm about to fight this guy... I don't know if I can beat him." I felt the fear of underwater dreams and slow-motion punches. I spoke softly, waving a verbal white flag and he lost interest in me and started after the girl again.

I looked over and noticed that another man had appeared--a cowboy. He wore a black cowboy hat, boots, and had a cigarette in his mouth. He looked badass, like a guy from a movie. The angry man walked by the cowboy and had an exchange similar to mine, except the cowboy didn't cower. At that point, I felt as if we could handle this situation together. The punk seemed to realize this as well and he retreated to his bicycle. He looked as if he was planning to go around the block and find the girl again, so the cowboy hopped in his truck and said he was going to follow the girl and make sure she gets where she needs to go. I called the police.

I was scared, but I knew I had to do something. I wish I had the sense of authority that the cowboy seemed to possess. I guess it doesn't matter though, because I'll obey God and my instincts and He'll give me what I need. I'm just a skinny kid, but I know I could do anything if God willed it. It's either David and Goliath or getting beat down, but either way, through obedience, God is glorified.