Lateral reticulospinal tract

The lateral reticulospinal tract paralyzes the body while we sleep so we don't physically act out what we're dreaming. It originates in the lateral reticular formation of the medulla, it descends bilaterally and facilitates flexor muscle motor neuronnssss........zzzzzzzz...........

Yoga mat

It's spring break and I'm leaving tomorrow for Colorado. I'm doing a training in teaching yoga to senior citizens and people with disabilities. I'm going a day early to spend some time in Boulder and have tea at the Dushanbe tea house. As soon as I return I start training for a new job. I'm genuinely excited about all this, but there's also another part of me. Life feels so rife with practicality lately.

That other part of me had planned to go to Japan for spring break. I've always longed to see the cherry blossoms. I would be a little early for cherry blossoms if I went now, but plum blossoms would be fine too. I've always had a rebellious nature that is hard to quell. So what if it's not practical? What if, despite the demands of all this responsibility, I went anyway? What if I just......went? Our story begins......

Lure

I had a cancellation this morning which gave me the opportunity to do a longer drawing. I bought this lure at an antique shop about six weeks ago when I took $30 to try to stimulate the economy and do a short series called "Antique shop, and a thought". Where did the time go?

There's a lot of really great neon in Albuquerque and each evening there's a perfect moment after the sun has set, but before the sky is dark, where the neon really glows. That's what I love about using colored pencils over gouache. They take on a subtle but glowing quality. But there's also a voice, and it is annoying. As in every aspect of life, the art world has its hierarchies, politics, myths and beliefs. And every artist knows it. You are trying to carve out your little moment of joy with color and texture and you hear the voice. "You know, if you could really paint, you wouldn't have to draw over it" or "You do know that works on paper aren't as valuable as oils, right?"

The voice, if you're not aware of it, can send you careening into complete fear for your own survival. It's easy to believe that thoughts are The Truth, rather than just thoughts. I often have to remind myself to identify with the vast ocean and not get lured into the sharp hooks of negative thought.

Tomato

Roasted broccoli

I stumbled across this recipe while doing a search for the temperature needed for roasting broccoli. It is the best! Usually broccoli is something I eat because I know I should, but this recipe actually left me craving more broccoli. Amazing! The funny looking thing in the middle of the broccoli is a slice of garlic with black pepper.

Popsicle

I drew a popsicle on my notes to remind myself that cranial nerve VII is the one in charge of taste, while cranial nerve V is the one that enables us to sense the shape and texture of the popsicle inside the mouth.

Salad

'Salad' was the first actual word I typed without looking at the keyboard. I was excited because it's a word that can be expressed while still at the asdf, jkl; level on the typing tutorial. My excitement waned when I learned that 'Qwerty' typing is outdated and 'Dvorak' style is the most efficient. Now I'm at a standstill. My mother said that her third graders are learning keyboarding. Is that 'Dvorak'? What do I do now? I guess I'll keep going with 'hunt and peck' until I find out.