One fast Hotrod!!!

Here is the second installment of 5 portraits that I plan to put on here. This one is of my second oldest child. He is my Hotrod and has been since birth.

He is almost always full of energy. A friend once discribed him as..."A combination of Dennis the Menace, Calvin from Calvin and Hobes, and the Energizer Bunny on speed..." and I must admit she is dead on the money.

With a never ending imagination, he is quick to come up with his explaination on how the world works and it is usually something no one else would even come close to coming up with. He can come up with a 'poot joke' faster than anyone I've ever known. And while we are on the subject of poots, He is a world reknown armpit farter. Definetly one of the best, if not the best, armpit musicians.

He has a heart big enough to match his imagination. Quick to give a hug and a smooch and tell you that he loves you. He eagerly opens his heart to the people around him, and once you are in, you're in for life. The picture I drew this portrait from was taken while he was on his way to me to give me a hug. Arms wide open and his lips just starting to pucker up to give me a kiss wet enough to sink a battleship.

He usually goes through the day thinking that if anything is worth doing, then it's worth getting into trouble for. I find myself sitting back and smiling when I think of some of the things he's done. I wasn't smiling at the time, but I am now. I've learned to make sure that if he gets too quiet to stop and just check in to see what he may be planning to do next. That way the world goes un-cracked for one more day.

He has been described as a class clown, but he is a smart and clever young man, getting straight A's on his last report card. He loves to run and to be chased. He loves to see if his voice can actually reach the people in the house two streets over. And it just comes naturally. That's what makes him who he is. None of this is ever done just to be mean or with malice in his heart. He is just wide open. That's the way he was made, and I love him with all of my heart for it.

He loves to laugh and to make others laugh. He infects everyone around him with his carefree, love life attitude. I hope he never looses that. I hope he will always be the kind of son that is ready to climb into my lap for a tickle or just to sit and snuggle. I hope I can help him nurture his imagination so that it takes him as high as he wants to go. I hope he knows just how much I love him and how proud I am of him.

The Incredible Hulk

I have always loved comic books for the colors and the details. The story line was just an added bonus. I would sit in the floor of my room with a whole stack of them and take in the beautiful art that filled the pages from cover to cover. And hey, who didn't want a pair of x-ray glasses or be able to beat up the sand kicking bully? In fact, I just passed down two milk crates full of comics to my oldest son, who seems to love them just as much as I do. (COOL!!) I have always been more partial to Marvel comics than DC, although Batman is one of the coolest heroes ever.

The picture I have today is of the Incredible Hulk. "The STRONGEST There Is!!!", and, one of my most favorite characters. I drew it a long time ago and I believe I seen it in a magazine as a 'Got Milk' add.

What makes the Hulk so cool is that he never asked to be here. It wasn't his idea that Bruce Banner play around while a gamma bomb exploded (Yes, I know about Rick Jones). And now that he is here all he wants to do is smash someone and then be left alone. N0w I ask you, what harm can come from that? Another reason is that the Hulk has no limit to his strength. The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.

Now, if you ask Bruce Banner he will tell you that having the Hulk around is a nuisance, but I disagree. How many times have we wished that we could just let our 'inner monster' loose? No regard, no remorse, just let it out and see what happens. Just reach through that little hole in the glass and slap the shit out of someone because they were, purposely, being as annoying as humanly possible.

We seem to live in a society that absolutely has a panic attack whenever someone gets the least bit upset. We've seen it in a restaurant, or while shopping. Someone gets mad and shouts at someone else and, instantly, people are afraid. They have their phones out and have them on stand by, ready to dial 911 (or the Marines, whichever they feel may be needed at the time). I'm not sure why. How do we know the person that just got yelled at didn't have it coming.

I'm not saying that we should just stand by idly and watch as some one gets the dog snot beat out of them because the just happened to wear the 'wrong' color T-shirt through the 'wrong' part of town, or as some crazy person goes tearing through a crowded place shooting at anything that moves. I'm only saying that anger is just another emotion, same as happiness, sadness, fear or even guilt. But we are taught from an early age that getting mad is just wrong. "Stay calm, Don't get upset" Why? I WANT to be upset! I DESERVE to be upset!

There are so many people that go out of their way to see just how mad they can make someone. Maybe its about time we took the Hulk's advice and just start "SMASHING PUNY HUMANS!!!!"