*cough*
Hello, my name is Lonnie DiNello and I am not a complete failure! I have spent the last couple months filled with regret because I didn’t keep up with the 100 Days Project and because I haven’t updated Almost Normal. Today I came to the realization that regret is a useless emotion, just like guilt, and all it does is hold a person back. So, I have come here today to tell the world that I forgive myself for not posting comics the way I wanted to. It’s ok, I can let go of the past and start living in the now.
Now, with that off my chest, here’s what I’ve been up to since I got back from Connecticut.
1. I got Kittens! That’s right, Kittens!

This is Zuko chasing his little sister Pixel!
It all started with driving my friend and her cat to the vet and falling in love with the most adorable little rescue while I was there. After a brief campaign through Facebook and Twitter my boyfriend could no longer say no and my beautiful little Pixel came home with us. Yay!
Three weeks later Pixel returned to the vet for her second set of kitten shots and I was informed that her brother was still there, the last of their litter without a home. After a whirlwind of black market high pressure tactics and a botched negotiation on my end, I found myself out side the vet, dazed and confused with TWO kittens in the pet carrier! Martin was very surprised as well.
Pixel was not happy to share her home or her family with her brother, Zuko. Our little runt of a kitten bullied her larger sibling into hiding behind the couch and under the bed. After a few days though, things started to settle down and now we’re a happy family of four. They kittens are a very happy distraction for me.
2. I started my summer classes! I’m taking Drawing for Sequential Art with Tom Lyle, former artist for Spiderman. He’s totally awesome and very encouraging. He’s even got me thinking about possibly working for one of the Big Two someday, living that childhood dream of drawing the X-Men or something like that. It’s good to have someone telling you they believe in you, especially when he’s been there and done that himself. I know ultimately its how much I believe in myself that’s going to determine whether I succeed or not.
I’m also taking Intro to Game Development and Interactive Design as an online class. I was supposed to be taking a professional class working with Zynga, but the class was postponed to next quarter, so I picked up the Intro class last minute. Unfortunately that means I have to take it online, and I hate online classes. I’m doing well though. I already created a board game that my play testers thought was lots of fun. I’m going to finish it eventually and make it available to folks. Now I’m working on an Interactive Pet Feeder for my next project. It’s a very geeky project.
3. I got a part time job! I’m working in The Cage at the film and digital media building on campus. I’m surrounded by expensive equipment, games and game systems! I get to do some school work while I’m here (when I’m not making blog posts) but it’s still a job and takes up a bunch of time. Money is a nice thing to have though, even if it is minimum wage. Networking with all the future film directors and game gurus is a plus too!
So, I haven’t been updating my comics like I wanted to, but I have been busy living a pretty full life. I probably shouldn’t mention that I’ve reached level 30 in FrontierVille though, but oh well.
Hope you’re all doing well! I miss hearing from you!