Old Friends and New Lovers

Or New Friends and Old Lovers?

Mi familia, mis amantes, mi vida, con todo mi amor.

Lately I have been stuck in the social networking cycle via facebook....
and I do mean stuck.
 It's addicting.
Yes, I realize I'm possibly the last person on earth to sign on.

I had always been reluctant to go there,
as I suspected I would find every person from my past and present
clamoring for my attention.
Yes, thank you very much;
I realize that I live and lie incredibly within my own mind
where these fantasies do exist!

My biggest fear was that those I've disconnected with
would be coming back to haunt me asking to be my friend.
I'd be all....hell no, I never liked you to begin with!
Or the tables would be turned,
and I'd find my long lost cousin or
an aunt I used to write letters to in 4th thru 7th grade.
I'd attempt to befriend them only to be shot down with,
where the hell have you been all these years?

Oddly, the first facebook friend request came from
Kinky Friedman, a few years ago
before I ever got a facebook account
Yeah, this guy...

(I stole this image from uulyrics.com)

I should have taken him up on the offer,
because now he's got too many friends and I cannot get in.

By the way, if I were gonna be some old Jewish male
cowboy, warped author, musician, cigar smoker I would choose to be
Kinky Friedman!
Maybe Chinga Chavin is the real Asshole from El Paso,
but I rank a close second.

So...where am I headed with all this talk of friends and lovers?

I have always had close relationships among family
and I have found myself even more involved with distant relatives
now using facebook
because we did't find the time to talk on the phone
or email very often, or write letters.
By collecting us all in one place we have more involvement
more real-time interaction
more love to contribute.
That totally rocks!

Here I sit talking straight to the joy
of how my life has become enriched by this simple tool
as I've found my way back to my closest, dearest friend from the past.

Of all the things I've seen and done over the years
this surely ranks at the top of my list.
I have missed that woman, my friend, my sister, my lover.
(No, not in the physical sense) but I had ya going, eh?
It feels fantastic!

And I thought I was going to title this little blog entry
"I Hate People"
Boy, am I a strange bird, or what?
Don't answer that.

A word of advice about facebook:
Don't start playing games there
unless you have impeccable self control.
You don't really need a virtual farm
hatchling eggs, or colored feathers...
No, you don't!
I can't tell you how many times I've started up a game module there,
got stuck playing for hours
deleted the game modules
only to go back to restarting again 2 days later.
Seriously...I have to remove them cuz I've got no self-control.

(stole this from ehow)

I justify the damn monotony of it all and keep going back
because my blood pressure tends to go way down after playing these games.
Yeah that's it.
It must be that eerie low monotone voice saying 1 minute...Go!
Or the screen turning gold, in effect penalizing me,
for amazing speed!
Stupid blitz!
Hell, I thought it would cause my BP to spike!
Stop trying to convince yourself, Reesa...do not go back.
LOL, you know I will.

Artistic Endeavors

I've got 2 brothers with artistic talent up the ying yang.
Their artistic styles are actually like ying and yang.
Art is subjective, but artistic prowess runs in their genes.

My father earned his first award in art for a painting he did
called "Evening Chores" outside Spartan Mill in S.C.
but he never pursued a career in art, though he dabbled in it
over many years. I wish he had done more.
I was told that my mother also had artistic abilities.
Hell, maybe I've got the same genes lurking within,
but I didn't practice the craft my entire life as my brothers have.

The elder

My oldest brother Stan Turner resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico
and has been working as a graphic artist for too many years for me to count.
He's created designs for so many major companies it boggles my mind
(well, yes my mind is easily boggled, but pay that no never mind!)


I adore this painting he created of his lovely pit bull Heddy.
She was a loving and devoted family member for 11 years.
We all miss that pretty pooch.


Most recently I've seen his work for the Las Cruces
"Whole Enchilada Fiesta"
t-shirts and fiesta branding.
He also designed
High Desert Brewing Company's
new t-shirts and their website.
Stan has a knack for capturing puppy whimsy.
"Bloo & Earl" are a fine example of this.
For more about Stan's work and his freelance rates go here: Stan Turner

The younger

My youngest brother Sam Turner has a knack for hiding out,
being extremely difficult to track down,
and creating some wild and sick designs.
His claim to fame: "2008 NACCC champion of Foot Down"
Sam has been seen drinking from an artificial leg
riding a stuffed pink pony,
and being a cycle jerk all over the mile high city.

Here's Sam doing his infamous "Superman"

Last I heard he was working on some new art
and will have another gallery showing in Denver.
This may be one of my favorite works by Sam
although I do still have some early comic cats
he drew in 7th grade.



Sam spends most of his time on a bicycle, or sleeping.
It's a wonder he manages to get any work done,
but he did manage to create the "Fire up the Blades" cover,

and has done several poster and t-shirt designs for
Canadian metal heads 3 Inches of Blood.

Sam also creates designs for Never Summer
Snowboards, skateboards and apparel,
as well as his varying original designs with very limited print runs.
Sam and a couple of his buddies run
Denver's Track Shack @ 1338 Tremont.
The Plastisol Free For All is a yearly t-shirt design contest
run by Indy Ink.
Sam won the People's Choice Award for his overly sick
"Black 100" design in 2008.



I claim bragging rights.
Way to go bro's!