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After discovering Hummer was going to make an H3 Truck, I found that Hummer was hoping to move in on the Jeep Wrangler with a small convertible SUV. I can’t imagine a cooler way to get to the beach…

Tougher than nails. Notice that the door panels bevel out; most Hummer body panels are deliberately flat. I love the exposed hinges on the doors and bolt heads on the fenders.

With the roof panels removed, there’s enough room for a surf board. My guess is the slotted vent near the windshield base is an air intake for the engine. This allows the SUV to drive in deep water without the engine inhaling water.

Don’t miss the rugged details of the hood.

A loaded gun.

If I would’ve stuck with Industrial Design as a career, this is the type of drawing I would be doing for a living. I’m kinda jealous.

Halo? Anyone? I think Hummer knows who their demographic will be for the HX.

Tonight I joined Candyce for a lecture at ASU by Eames Demetrius, the grandson of legendary furniture designers Charles and Ray Eames. (For the record, Charles and Ray were married, Charles is the husband and Ray, the wife, is; a woman.) I wanted to attend the lecture because I’ve been a fan of Eames furniture ever since I discovered the hip mid-century designers while taking History of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech.

To any of my friends from the ID department back at Tech, the chance to meet the Eames grandson is like a music fan meeting John Lenin’s grandson. (I’m not a die-hard Beetles fan, so I don’t know whether or not; John Lenin actually has a grandson.) In every creative field, there are talented people that eventually become stars, and their children will in some way continue that legacy and celebrity.

The lecture hall was packed with students from different all majors within the design college. Scattered in the group were fashionable college town adults of varying ages. Candyce and I had to sit in the isle because all the seats were filled.
The presentation itself was cool because we got a more personal story of the designers. We watched one of their short films, which was pretty cool. I always admire a designer that can be good at more than one medium.

The lecture dragged on because of technical problems with the overhead projector and the laptop that was supposed to play the DVDs. By the end, the more restless students had cleared out, leaving half of the once-coveted seats empty. I was embarrassed for them but at the same time a little bit jealous. It was a long night and I was tired.

The reward for the evening was that they had a raffle for some Eames stuff at the end. The grand prize was an Eames rocking chair, which will cost you about $500. I; had entered my name in box as we walked in because I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give myself a chance–even it it was 1000 to 1.

Well the first name the drew was my own. I couldn’t believe it! Everyone’s heads jerked around the room to see if someone would raise their hand. As I walked forward, they looked at me with contempt and excitement. I hammed it up and pretended I had just won and Oscar for best supporting actor. I acted shocked yet flattered. I even stopped to shake hands with some of the losers. By the time I made it up to the front, my arms were spread wide to give the Director of the Design school a heartfelt hug. He wasn’t as excited as I was, but the students in the room thought it was funny.

I didn’t win the chair, but I did win a book written by Eames Demetrius who had just given the lecture. Afterwards I met him, and asked him to sign my book. I explained to him how I caught a vintage furniture collector trying to peddle bootleg versions of his grandparent’s furniture around town. He was really proud of me when I recounted how I reprimanded the dealer for deceiving people.

He explained in his lecture that his grandparents believed that their designs were not just chunks of furniture, but a dynamic example of how to be a good host. When you sat in one of; their chairs, you were their guest. And when people copied their furniture and made it from cheaper materials, it was essentially people thinking they were going over the Eames house as a guest, only to be turned away angry because of a fake. I thought he was going to give me a hug because he’d found someone who understood what his grandparents were trying to do.

In his message that he wrote in the book, he encouraged me to buy a lottery ticket because I seemed to be lucky. After Candyce and I had dinner at a swanky restaurant, I drove by a greasy gas station and bought a lotto ticket–my first ever. Maybe tomorrow I will be a millionaire.

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Wednesday night:

I just checked online and I didn’t win a lottery. I didn’t think I would, but I can see why people like to buy a ticket every so often. It gives you a rush because you get to play in your mind for the next day of how your life could change. But I feel lucky just to have me Eames Demetrius, and the lotto ticket will make a good bookmark.

I am starting a comic strip for lifeteen.com. It’s time to add some spice to our content and comics have a lot of flavor. I’ve always thought comic books were dorky and I couldn’t get into them. I don’t like the super heroes or sci-fi stuff, but I dig fun illustrations of real life. I know comics are supposed to be for young people, but I bet that senior citizens would live vicariously through a witty character with grey hair.

I think my strip will be a lovely mix of graffiti, mod art, and graphic design. Character forms and personalities take a while to master, so I’m going to have to lean on more mod art. Oh I don’t know… I mean I started this journal because I was tired of drawing.

Beginning a new craft is intimidating. Kids were drawing comics while I was doing geometry homework. Judd from the Real World San Francisco has been doing comics for years. Why don’t I just do what I already do and keep getting better? I was reading Metropolitan Home and a designer told his wife, “keep in mind, no matter what color we paint these walls, no one is going to die.” Who cares? Let’s start painting.

If I had the time and a reason, I’d do it all. I’d design furniture, web sites, and comic strips. I’d be an architect and interior designer. I would paint, draw, sculpt, weld, and glue. I’d write more memoirs and letters to my lover. I’d own a hotrod shop. But with one lifetime, I just have to go with the flow. Right now I am a web designer, writer, and an evangelist. I collect mid-century furniture and I don’t write letters.

Today I left the studio early to check out a new retro-modern furniture store. The antique district in south Scottsdale is kind of splotchy, but there are always good finds. I stumbled across a convincing copy of an Eames lounge chair from the 60s. This chair is an icon: it’s in the Museum of Modern Art. It was a little dirty and has been used for several decades, but it was still in good shape. The storeowner knew it was a bootleg version even though he argued that it wasn’t. Otherwise, he would sell it for two thousand dollars more. I wanted to get it, but I don’t have another room for another chair.; As rewarding as shopping can sometimes be, not shopping is rewarding too.

Before I left, I was mesmerized by a wall of coo-coo clocks. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever written, “coo-coo clocks.” There is something hypnotic about those goofy gadgets. Standing strong in the corner was a stately grandfather clock. That clock is a stud. You know, I’ve tried to use an odd design concept for a year now. I’ve sketched it into bookshelf and a table for a fish tank. But those pieces of furniture are a part of a family of furniture. I’m not ready to design the whole family. But a grandfather clock is independent, perfect for my weirdo design. Tomorrow morning I’ll have to check out eBay for the guts of a grandfather clock.

Matt M. is recording a song right now, “Gospel Train.” Hopefully when I get a place, we can set up a recording studio. His songs are so good, and we never have too much good music. One song can echo around the planet. I’ve traveled enough to know that his music touches a lot of people. He has the talent, and he needs to use it.

Today was cool, windy, cloudy, sunny, and rainy. This is not typical Sonoran Desert weather. I think the weather made me weird today.

Mac’s OS X is one of the most inviting desktops in the world. These translucent windows and morphing tool bar make for a sexy little experience. It’s difficult to focus on what I am typing because it is too much fun to look around the desktop. That’s all I have to say about that.

The anticipated acclimation back to college life is settling upon me. I’ve done this college thing before, but after such a unique semester off, hopping on the train of tunnel vision is not easy. Only in seeking ways to manifest my creativity can I be interested in my classes. To attend classes knowing it will get me the A, the credit hours, the degree, and eventually the job, is not enough demand my attention. I just don’t care enough about the professional track to happiness.This semester I am learning Alias (the movie “Ants” was made with this software), Director (for designing CD-ROMs), and Senior Studio (to show that we can be professionals.) Alias and Director capture my attention because they are groovy software gumballs. Senior Studio is cool b/c I get to design swank little products. If I walk in a store and can’t find the lamp, phone, or chair I want, I can design and make my own.

Meredith and I are doing well. Each day I delight in getting to know her more. We just love spending time with each other. We don’t have to go out and do important things that a TV personality and a model are expected to do. We can paint the walls of my bedroom and listen to the radio. We could eat at fancy restaurants to see and be seen, but we are fine eating PB & Js and pasta salad on mismatched plastic plates.