March 6: Cartoon Hiatus, End of Spring Break, Classic Saint Marty

My two Constant Readers may have noticed the absence of original cartoons lately.  No Stickman.  No Saint Marty.  Yes, I am taking a cartoon hiatus for a few weeks.  I have gotten a little burned out recently, with school and work.  Frankly, I'm a little surprised that I've been able to keep up with this blog.  Not to worry.  I will soon be putting my cartooning skills back to work.

I just finished putting together a midterm exam for my Good Books class. That took a few hours this afternoon.  After I'm done with this blog, I will go on to correct some response papers.  I may check to see if I have any new assignments in the online class I'm taking.  It's just going to be a working day.  All day.  Possibly all night, as well.

Sundays have never been my favorite day of the week.  Despite being the Sabbath, dedicated to worship and rest, Sundays make me sad.  They don't feel like the beginning of something new.  They feel like an ending.  Of freedom.  Of being my own boss.  For the next five days, I am not in charge of myself.  I remember, as a kid, hearing the church bells tolling on Sunday afternoons and being overwhelmed with melancholy.  That's when I was five and six years old.  My dislike of this day has only strengthened over time.

It's the end of the weekend.  End of spring break.  Beginning of a work week.  Beginning of five days of labor.  Plus, next weekend, my family is going to the Wisconsin Dells for my daughter's dance competition.  Without me.

Today's episode of Classic Saint Marty first aired four years ago, on a day of sunshine and happiness.  Four years later, well . . .

March 6, 2012:  Light Low Upon My Brow, Happiness

Anybody got a snuffer?

 "What!" exclaimed the Ghost, "would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give?  Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made this cap, and force me through whole trains of years to wear it low upon my brow!"

The Ghost of Christmas Past is a little put out with Scrooge here.  Scrooge has asked the Ghost to put on his cap.  There is a bright light issuing from the Spirit's head, and Scrooge has a "special desire to see the Spirit in his cap..."  Of course, the light has something to do with the light of Christmas, and the Ghost chides Scrooge for his request to dampen the light.

I kind of understand where Scrooge is coming from.  Yesterday morning, I was in a great mood, looking forward to a busy, productive day.  This morning, I just wanted to crawl back into bed and pull the pillow over my head, and it had nothing to do with feeling tired.  The energy and happiness I experienced yesterday just aren't there for me today.  If the Ghost of Christmas Present showed up at my front desk right now, I'd probably ask him to put on the cap, too, or at least wear it low upon his brow.  (I'm generally a person who keeps windows closed and curtains drawn.  I'm not a vampire.  I just don't like being that open and free with myself all the time, literally and figuratively.  Believe it or not, I don't blog about every detail of my life.)

Don't tell me all I need is a positive attitude.  I've heard all the lectures.  I've even taught a Sunday School class using a book titled something like Attitude Is Your Paintbrush or Attitude Makes You Paint Better or Brush Up Your Bad Attitude.  It was all about choosing to be happy and positive.  It was a stretch for me.

My former former coworker comes back to work today.  There's a potluck.  I made brownies.  It's going to be over forty degrees by this afternoon.  My wife has a new job.  Things are looking up.  Really up.  Although the first thing my former former coworker is going to do when she shows up is open the blinds to the office.  She likes sunshine.  In fact, my Ghost of Christmas Past would probably look a lot like her.

Saint Marty needs to find a good cap for his Ghost of Christmas Past.

Okay, it has nothing to do with my post, but it's really funny . . .