Fully-cooked, canned Nick

Mad Man

2009-11-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Today's iPhone sketch is a quick Brushes doodle of Donald Francis Draper from Mad Men. Enjoy.

Yeah. It's been a while.

2009-11-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of you have been worried that something had happened to me since I haven't been updating my sketch of the day blog. The truth is that I haven't been updating it because I have been too busy at work. I could have sketched at home, but I don't have any Post-it Notes there. So I have just slacked off and not drawn anything for a while.

However, I recently got a Pogo stylus for my iPhone and downloaded the Brushes, Layers, and SketchBook apps so I can doodle on my phone anywhere I find myself. I think this will allow me to draw more often and maybe I'll be able to keep this blog updated. I'll try to do a sketch every day, but I make no promises.

My first published iPhone sketch is a drawing of Claudine. I drew it today using the Brushes app. I tried to start off with SketchBook, but got frustrated with the lag between me drawing and the line showing up I tried Brushes. I don't think I will be using SketchBook anymore. To all of those who liked my Post-it Note sketches, I'm sorry but I won't be doing any more of them for now. Hopefully these digital drawings will be to your liking as well.

Fists of Fury

2009-10-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I really screwed up this drawing of Mark. This sketch is probably what mark looked like 30-35 years ago. He is much older in real life. Mark is one of the world's finest barkeeps. Like most bar tenders, he has mastered the fine art of being a friend to each and every one of his patrons... unlike most others however, Mark is a real friend to those willing to put the small amount of effort it takes to see the man past the beer tap. I've never met a more hospitable guy. He has every reason to be a jerk, but he's not. He is a middle aged, ex-military, ex-smoker who has been stuck in the middle of a room full of thirsty drunks almost every night for years and years. He could handle himself in a fight, but is clever enough to avoid most physical confrontations. A true sage, he knows-it-all because he has done-it-all... done it all except for being featured as a Post-it note facebook friend sketch-of-the-day. Of course now he has done that too.

Misty

2009-10-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

Misty is Barry's wife. Barry is an old friend from the internet. He owned and operated the message board I use to hang out at. Misty is flake, but not in a bad way. She is pretty funny because he is really good at laughing at herself. She'll be the first to tell you that she puts the "rash" in "trashy". I think this skill developed primarily as a defensive mechanism because she was always targeted by the bullies of the message board. By making the joke first, she took the sting out of their zing. Of course this never stopped everybody from still making fun of her, but I think it made the actual insults less potent.

Tall as Brian

2009-09-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

I met Brian in college. He stayed in the dorms a few rooms down from me. Brian's dorm room, which he shared with a Puerto Rican culinary student named Chadwick, became one of the hangout hubs for our social clique. The reason for this could be because he had the biggest television or maybe it was because he had all the best gaming consoles or a horde of Playboys and comics under his bed, but I like to believe we hung out with Brian because he was such a cool guy. Brian is from Nebraska. He is the only person I've ever met from Nebraska. I guess it's an okay place, but he never moved back there after college, so who knows. I'm not sure what Brian does nowadays, but by looking at his facebook photos, it looks like the party still can be found in his vicinity.

Michael

2009-09-29T13:16:00.001-07:00

Michael is one of Claudine's cousins. I think he is a great guy and an awesome father to his two kids. He is one of the warmest and kind hearted individuals I've come across. This year has been a tough one for him, but he has shown strength I truly admire and hope to match when I am faced with trying adversities. I've learned that Michael is the glue that keeps the extended parts of Claudine's family bonded together. I think there are special rewards for people like him. Without a doubt one of those rewards is being featured as today's Post-it Note, facebook Friend Sketch-of-the-day.

Leeman

2009-09-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

There is a chance than Rodney is certifiable. He is another friend I met the internet. In his case, I don't know exactly where the line between man and online persona is drawn, but I'd assume its drawn lightly. Almost everything he types is inflamitory, but his observations are often times frighteningly convincing. If I turned on the television and saw Fox News Alert about him, it wouldn't surprise me. He is today's sketch because work today has been just a little bit crazy, just like Rodney.

Player 2

2009-09-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Besides friends, I have a couple of relatives on facebook. One of them is Douglas. He is my younger brother, the middle of three. I think he has done pretty well for himself. It can't be easy with my success constantly shadowing over him. It's precious to see him, like a toddler tagging along behind and adult, striding as far as his abilities can take him in order to keep up with me. Right now he is in the West Indies at a medical school that no one knows about on an island that no one has ever heard of. He has always wanted to be a doctor and I respect his dedication to that dream. Many times I have tried to talk him into giving up on it, but he doesn't listen to me. I hope he succeeds. I'd hate for him to look back at his life when he is an old man and regret that his only shining moment was the time that he was the Nick's facebook friends, Post-it note Sketch-of-the-Day.

Dink

2009-09-23T12:49:00.001-07:00

I know Danielle because she works with Claudine. She is married to Eddie and they live in Indiana.

Serenity

2009-09-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Back before social networking became the norm and even farther back than blogs there were internet message boards. There are a few still around today, but they are nothing like they use to be. I guess it was around 1999 when I first started hanging around online at a handful of various message boards. I met some people on them that I am still very good friends with to this day. I'm not super good friends with Justin anymore, but he will always be one of my favorite peeps. He filled the internet full of mischief and mayhem back when everybody was still getting use to the way the online world worked. He could work miracles with just a little personal information and an AIM username. He probably took a bunch of credit for stuff he never actually did, but that was part of his craft as well. I think he was one of the original internet trolls. Sometimes I long for the old days. Back before facebook when the internet was rough and rugged and chugged along at 56kps. Of course if there was no facebook, there would be no Nick's Facebook Friend, Post-it note, Sketch-of-the-Day.

Double D

2009-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I told you that of all my non-related friends on facebook, Sterling was the one I had known the longest, but that was not true. Back when I was a timid little toddler I met David in Kindergarten. We both attended a tiny little private school and were actually classmates all the way through the end of 8th grade. I remember hanging out with him at his house, which was out in the rural parts of our hometown. His family owned quite a bit of land which included a big lake which was good for swimming and other summer time activities. He had four-wheelers and I nearly killed myself on one riding down one of the dirt roads in between his home and the lake. Luckily the four-wheeler flipped back over onto its wheels and I came out from underneath unscathed. Because of my good fortune, I don't think he or his family ever knew about the accident. I just rode the thing back to his house, slowly this time, and parked it in the garage and went back to my youthful frolicking like nothing ever happened. Looking at David's facebook page, it would seem that he is now married. He isn't online much so I don't know much else about him. I just noticed that he is a fan of Marvel motion comics, so that's cool.

Nice hat Matt

2009-09-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Matt is a dear friend of mine. Gastronomically speaking, he is my Yoda. I think most people from the Chicago area are food centric, but Matt has become my own personal guru for all things yummy. Apart from food, he is a know-it-all about just about everything worth paying attention to. His opinions on most subjects range between blind hatred and total disgust. He meticulously finds flaws in and dislikes just about everything in his life except for his girlfriend, who I know little about except that she loves Matt and for that, she garners respect because I knew Matt before he met her and he was very comfortable with his bitter indifference. I'm happy he is happy even though he comes off as miserable most of the time.

Sterloin

2009-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

There is a good chance that of all my friends on facebook, I've known Sterling longer than anyone except the loving family members of mine who found me on facebook. Funny story. I use to go bowling a lot as a small child. Sterling also bowled and because of this mutually common practice, we knew each other as kids. I remember he came to my birthday party at the bowling alley and had some cake one time. Then I stopped bowling, or he did - can't remember which happened first. Since we weren't bowling we never saw each other until one day I found him in high school hanging out in the art room with Landon, a kid I knew from middle school and art class. We weren't really good friends or anything so I have no idea what happened to him after high school, but he lives in New York now and I'm okay with not really knowing or caring about the details. After all, we never really sought out each other as friends, but ended up knowing one another twice in life because of stuff we had in common. Other than those two things, we pretty much lived different lives. Now, thanks to facebook, we have a third thing in common and we are friends reunited after all these years. Like a fairy tale.

Fill Up

2009-09-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Phillip's another one of my college friend. I met this loveable goober like I met all my friends during college... we resided at Sunrise Hell together. We all spent time joking around and playing video games... Remind me one dark and stormy night to tell you about Claudia Jones. Always full of hilarious ideas, Phil's class projects always cracked me up. I still talk to him quite often on facebook and on Live when he has time. He is super busy these days working on flashy Hollywood movies and big budget video games. He is the most famous thing to come out of Varina, Virginia next to Jimmy Dean Sausage.

Make You Dead Ed

2009-09-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ed was one of my roommates in college. Growing up in Yonkers he went on to be a Marine before going to art school to become a graphic designer. I'm sure he's killed men with his bare hands and if not, he certainly knows how. Even though he was older than most of the other students at the dorm we were always cool with him and he never picked on us or anything. It never occurred to me to get him to buy me alcohol, but looking back, I'm sure he would have. He is now out west somewhere striking fear in the hearts of the weak. I've not really reached out to contact him outside of an initial friends requests on facebook so I don't know much else. However I do know that Ed is today's featured facebook friend on my facebook Post-it note sketch of the day.

Ultra Pop

2009-09-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Paul owns this really cool store in Louisville called Ultra Pop. If you ever go looking for it you can find it nestled right in the heart of the Highlands on Bardstown Road. Ultra Pop is like Louisville's Rotofugi. You can find all kinds of rare and super cool vinyl toys from all over the world along with local art, t-shirts, and hipster literature. It's a favorite place of mine. I usually spend some money when I go there, but Paul doesn't mind at all if you just stop in and chit-chat. He is sort of an expert on most things "nerd" and while we don't really know each other outside of the store, I have no doubt he is a good guy all around. He and his dog Freddy star in today's Nick's facebook friends list Post-it Note sketch of the day.

Diamond Girl

2009-09-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

My facebook friend, Post-it Note sketch-of-the-day today is Mike. Michael and I are friends from my days in college. He was a student when I got to school and he was there when I left. I think everybody who knew him considered him one of their best friends. Such a loveable little guy. Full of giggles and sunshine. We still talk to one another every blue moon. I think he is in a happy place right now in his life. The other doodle behind him is his girlfriend Missy. She went to school with us too, but I only remember her a little bit and I doubt she remembers me... but since she was in Mike's profile picture I threw her in and made today's sketch a two-for-one.

Ian

2009-09-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ian was one of my best friend back in high school. We were from the same neighborhood and were part of the same social circle. Together, we branched out and started hanging out together on the east side of town. Those were really crazy, but really fun times. For whatever reason, we stopped hanging out. I'm not really sure why. I think he went in the Air Force or something. Now he is in the Army and in Iraq. I think he may be coming home soon, so that's good. Today he is my Post-it Note sketch of the day.

Post-it Note Facebook Sketches

2009-09-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I've got a few facebook friends. Some of the them know each other. Some of them don't. Lots of times, I don't know many of their friends either. I'd like to know them... or at least know how they know my friend. So, in an attempt to get all the people on my friends list acquainted, I am going to try to use my Post-it Note sketch to highlight one of my friends. I'll try to include a brief description of who they are and how I know them. Chances are, if you are checking out my blog, you are one of my facebook friends, so eventually you'll probably be featured. While you're waiting to be featured, you can learn about all my other facebook friends who you may not have known. ::wink::

Back in the swing of things

2009-09-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello again. My name is Nick. This is my blog and I am suppose to draw stuff every day to keep my creative mind fresh. I'm sorry I haven't been updating every day. It's really hard to do. I get busy with work and never get around to finishing my sketches or scanning them in. BUT- If you have a taste for daily doses of artwork, you should check out my buddy Corwin's web comic Galaxy of the Damned. He is a lot better at updating every day... BUT - I hope you still come back here and check out my stuff too. I'll try my best to keep things from going stale. Today's sketch of the day is a portrait of Corwin. Notice it's done in ink! I may start a series of Sharpie/Post-it Note sketches staring my facebook friends. If that ain't a reason for you to come back here and visit, I don't know what is.

Tank Grrrrl

2009-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm starting the month of Septmeber off with Tank Girl doodle. She is a Australian tank pilot and I think she is pretty cool.

Hock a Loogie

2009-08-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a sketch of Luigi Mario. The better jumper of the two Mario Bros., Luigi is best known for wearing green.

Ouija Bored

2009-08-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have this cat named Ouija. He is a little black cat about a year old. He can be pesky, but mostly he is just cute. I drew a picture of him today. I'm at work so I didn't have him to look at, but I think it looks a lot like him. Besides, all black cats look alike, amiright?

Zoidberg

2009-08-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Today has been eventful. Quick and dirty Zoidberg to commemorate my order with Fugitive Toys. Also, my little brother just started med school this week. I'm pretty sure it's the same school Zoidberg graduated from. Good luck Doug.

Oh, crap. I forgot to sign this one. None of you better try to pass this doodle off as your own. Pinky swear honor system!

This guy never draws anything. Screw him!

2009-08-26T12:39:00.001-07:00

Just when you thought I was giving up on my Post-it Note sketches I return with a fresh doodle of the day. I quickly drew a Batman for you all. I hope you enjoy him. He has a sour attitude, but once you get to know him you'll realize he's a real swell guy.

Note to Nick's fans

2009-08-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there guys. Just wanted to let you know that I am indeed a failure when it comes to these daily sketches. I went out of town last week and just got back to work today. To my surprise, my work didn't finish itself while I was away from the office. So basically, I have been too busy today to draw anything. You're going to have to suffer through another day without my Post-it note doodles. Try not to get too upset about it. Please.

Red Skull

2009-08-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

A titan of terror, the Red Skull is a continuation of the tyrany theme started yesterday. The meanest thing this side of Adolf, Red Skull is one of the scariest villian in the Marvel Universe. He'd roast me alive for drawing the Joker before him. Of course, the Joker would skin me and wear me as a top coat if I didn't draw him first. The typical lose, lose situation you get when dealing with fictional lunatics.

Ace of Knaves

2009-08-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today's Post-it note sketch is a portrait of the Joker, the most infamous member of Batman's rogues gallery. The Joker takes advantage of the cerebral fear of clowns that many of us harbor, blending equal parts of insane and insidious. All things considered, I really like the guy.

Weekend Plans

2009-08-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be great. I really am looking forward to staying at home with Claudine and Ouija and doing nothing. Maybe we can go out and have a nice dinner one night, but honestly I'd be just as happy with Netflix and pizza rolls.

Lube job

2009-08-13T12:35:00.001-07:00

Today, work has been a steady flow of mind numbing site updates and dull projects - nothing all that creative or demanding. Sometimes those type of days are okay though. Given the choice, I'd rather have a slow day filled with repetitive rubber stamping rather than a day that required creative acceleration that my brain sometimes struggles to produce. On days like today, Post-it note sketching can be a creative outlet in an otherwise routine day. So how did I channel the burning creative aura my work has dismissed all day? I drew an quart of oil.

Oh snap

2009-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks. Just got back from vacation and totally forgot I was doing this. Quick sketch of Spider-Man being alerted to forgetfulness. For those who wonder, I had great time in Chicago. My time there flew by. Maybe I'll may sketch some stuff from my trip over the next few days. Who knows?

A dime for every click...

2009-08-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy. I will be away until next week because of my vacation. I'm trying to get all the loose ends tied here at work before I leave so my sketch of the day is rushed, but accurately reflects what my day has been like. Arrgh.

Quick Sketch - 8/04/09

2009-08-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today's sketch is a portrait of Zombie Tammy from the film Fido. I've noticed that Post-its are really easy to inadvertently smudge. The fact that they are so small doesn't help either. It's really is tough to get in there and doodle without smudging. Oh well. Zombie Tammy will make everything better.

Sketch for Monday, August 3, 2009

2009-08-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

I was busy at work today. Since I am leaving for vacation later this week, I am trying to wrap up all my projects ahead of time. Putting in a full days work feels a lot different than phoning it in like usually do does. On top of everything else, I had an extra side project fall in my lap that took up most of my free time today. Still, I have a sketch to share... It's a sketch of Buddha. He always seems to be happy. What's your secret Chubby?

Your technique is magnificent!

2009-07-31T11:03:00.001-07:00

The movie Chocolate took a spot on my all-time-favorite martial arts movie list last night. The film was already a winner in my book because of the ladyboy mafia, but what really made it an instant classic was the introduction of the Epileptic Boxer. Also, everything else about the movie was pretty awesome, most notably the ledge chase at the end. In homage to my newest kung fu hero, today's sketch is the Epileptic Boxer.

Post-it Note Sketch 7-30-2009

2009-07-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today's Amazon.com Gold Box Deal of the Day was seasons 1-4 of Futurama on DVD. I didn't buy it even though I think Futurama is a very funny show. I did however decide to post this sketch of Nixon's head in a bottle in its honor. FOUR MORE YEARS!

Sketch of the Day - 07/29/09

2009-07-29T08:06:00.001-07:00

It's comic book day down here on planet Earth. Nothing coming out I am really all that excited about though, which is probably good because next week we are going to Chicago and I need to save all my nickels for that. Anyway, today's sketch is of Captain America, my favorite of all comic book heroes.

Post-it Note sketch book

2009-07-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

So... apparently I don't have enough opinons about stuff to actually author a viable blog. I really like to share things with my ~~subscribers~~ subscriber, so instead of wasting time trying to fake rage about whatever hot button topic I see on HLN walking through the office lobby, I've decided to share the little sketches I waste time doodling at my desk between projects. I can't promise I will share one everyday, but I'd like to try. For the record, these sketches are done in pencil on 2"x2" Post-It® Mini Cubes. I try to limit my drawing time to less than 10 minutes.

The first one here is dedicated to the Taco Bell dog who died last week.

Lard Lad

2009-07-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm notoriously heafty. All my life I've been a chubster and over the last few years I have really packed it on. Tired of being husky, I am eating healthy because that's less not fun than excercise. I really hate moving around. I see people jogging along the side of the road all of the time and wish I had the heart to do stuff like that... then I try getting on a treadmill and bottom out at a eighth of a mile. So I am making better choices when I eat. It's no fun either, but at least I know I won't kill myself like I would if I tried to burn calories doing chin-ups or some other such nonsense. Maybe one day I'll be fit enough to do crunches and lunges, but for for now I'm just chilling out sedentary-style.

But something has to be done. I'm a over-weight, thirty year old. I was even taking medicine for cholestrol control for a while. At least I'm not Hoveround large yet. No, I'm still a fattie-on-foot, but sometimes when I am dutifully following Claudine around in the grocery store, I catch myself getting jealous of the whales with wheels I see put-putting down the aisle with the Debbie Cake end-cap. From a far, it really looks like a great life to live, but then I see them breathing heavy from the exertion it takes to mash the little button that makes their cart go. Oh well. I'll just trudge along behind the cart for a while longer and make sure to only put the boring tasting stuff into the cart for now. Better that than a soapy rag on a stick.

4th of July - In Review

2009-07-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still recovering from injuries sustained over the long holiday weekend. My back and legs are sore from firework duty, but it was totally worth it. This, my thirtieth Independence Day overall, was a great one. This year, lots of good food and an awesome display of aerial pyrotechnics made for a night to remember. Customary grilling fare was served up alongside saucy summertime side dishes making for a delicious prelude to the fireworks. Luckily the rain that had drizzled throughout the day cleared up leaving behind cloudy skies and a cool and comfortable evening. As everybody looked on I diligently lit up the night sky with roman candles and mortar rounds. I have to say, some of the mortars were just fantastic... ridiculously large explosions that really made you feel the BOOM. Even though two of our grand finale rockets were duds everything turned out spectacular. We ended the night with cake and strawberries.

I'm back at work now. No fireworks here.

Gallery of awesome fireworks package design.

I'd cut my strings for you.

2009-07-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

I never said this was going to be a daily blog, so don't get upset that I haven't updated in over a week. I blog from work and the puppet masters have been keeping my strings busy lately. My sincere apologies to my loyal readership and followers.

To be that man...

2009-06-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

If I could make a career change at this stage of my life I would probably become a Luchador. Being a wrestler has always been a life long dream of mine since before I can remember and I distinctly remember in 7th grade having a very serious conversation with my family about dropping out of school to join a wrestling troupe. I never followed through though and the closest I got to becoming pro wrestler was pile-driving my brother on the living room floor. At the time I was really pissed off at my family for not letting me go, but now I realize that they had the foresight to see the direction professional wrestling was heading in the 90's and had my best interests in heart. Thanks.

But now that I'm an adult, nothing is really stopping me from becoming a wrestling phenom except ability. The desires still there though and that got to count for something. I'd wear a green sequence cape with matching mask and my name would be Gran Tortuga. My finishing move would be called the "Choque de Caparazón".

Shout out to Mr. Wrestling II.

Lucha Libre shirt from Threadless.com

More Bar. Less Genius.

2009-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

The little computing boxes that those magical people at Apple make are fantastic. There are hundreds of reasons to be a fan, but for me, it's always been about the status symbol. That little nibble-bit fruit logo makes me better than you... and I've always been willing to pay top dollar for that. However nowadays it seems that everybody is jumping onboard the Cupertino Express. Everywhere I turn, I see some underachiever brandishing my beloved computer company's hardware like a fashion accessory. The sanctuary of the Apple Store once exclusive to an elite aristocracy is now overrun by the rank and file masses. Congratulations are in order to Apple though. They've turned the sinking ship of the 90's around and run aground on a continent full of riff raff willing to climb aboard for the ride. If I was so gosh-darn in love with every piece of wiz-bang, flashy spark they came out with, I'd turncoat for fear of being mistaken as one of the fad chasers. I'd wager this is how those blue bloods who came up with meth must of felt when the secret recipe got leaked to the trailer park.

In other news...

2009-06-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

As prophesied, yesterday, was my 30th birthday. I haven't altogether forgotten the whimsy of youth, but I can safely say that I feel the weight of adulthood as the shadows of responsibility and sober maturity loom overshoudler and multiply in viscosity and darkness by variables directly linked to my chronological age. It goes without saying that turning thirty was a lot different that turning twenty, but turning thirty was also surprisingly different from turning twenty-nine. When I turned twenty-nine, I still had my twenties and all the irreverence that comes along with them to hold on to. It was easy to feel good about myself and what I had accomplished by looking comparatively at my life at twenty-nine versus the know-nothing I was at a youthfully eager twenty. But now at thirty, I face a ten year blank slate into the future. Without the turbulence of my twenties to measure myself up to I think my future accomplishments may not feel as rewarding, because in the future, I won't be comparing myself to the reckless twenty year old... I'll have to compete with the man I am today... and the man I am today is tough competition. My forty year old self better come correct. I hope there are jetpacks by then.

List of notable people who died when they were 30 years old.

American Way of Life

2009-06-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Via: Matt Bors

My father's son

2009-06-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, (June 16, 2009) is my thirtieth birthday, which means that it's been just over thirty years since my father was forced to leave the United States and return to Iran. I have had virtually no contact with him at all with the exception of a couple of letters that made it to me in the early 80's addressed to my mother. Through those letters, I know that I have at least one brother in Iran born to my father's Iranian wife, three years younger than me. He is as much a ghost to me as my father is... more imaginary than real; more folk lore than kinfolk, but a brother none the less.

Today on the television and all over the internet there are images. Iran's youth are finding their voice. They are finding their muscle; their heart and soul. I see young men and women awake, screaming in unison and uniting their mass so they will not be ignored. I cannot help but wonder if one of the faces I see might be my brother's. Long ago I gave up hope of ever meeting my father or any of my Iranian family, but in the eyes of those fighting back today, I see myself. I see faces that look like mine. It lingers. I hope for my family's well being, as imaginary as they may be to me. I wonder if they ever think about me.