A painter is a man who paints what he sells; an artist, on the other hand, is a man who sells what he paints. — Pablo Picasso

Hmm, has it been a week already? And I’ve been meaning to write an update for days. First, business, and then I’ll ramble a bit about what I’ve been up to. My column this week, DADDY DOGMA, is about my wonderful poppa. The video to accompany this article (think “Special Features”) is right here:

It’s Wednesday afternoon, and I’m sitting at the kitchen table in my in-laws house on Martha’s Vineyard. The holiday is over, the rest of the family (David’s brother, nieces, sister, and aunt) has all gone home, so the house seems extra quiet for these last few days of lingering before we return to San Diego. Last night on the phone, after he told me how embarrassing that video was, Dad asked what the hell I’ve been doing every day out here. Well, the answer is simple — same thing I do at home: working. The only day I took a break was Monday (and only for half the day) to go to the spa with Ency, Judith, and Michelle. And it was VERY worth it. I had the best facial I’ve ever had. Ever. Otherwise, same old, going to the gym in the morning, eating tons of Hungarian food every night, and working during the day while everyone else goes about their own interests. And playing lots of rummy each evening.

David’s feeling under the weather, and the weather is cold. The other night, a clap of thunder jolted me out of bed, and the rain was pelting the skylights — I usually love thunder storms, but this one had me freaked out and all jumpy, it was just so LOUD.

The turkey day was good, though I had some emotional moments of missing my family. We decided to stay an extra day on the island, and will go to Boston Friday night to hang out with friends before flying home on Saturday. And then leaving on Wednesday for Seattle. I feel a little topsy-turvy, but after December, the traveling will calm down a bit. However, for the entire month of December, this is what it looks like — home a few days, gone for a week, home a few days, gone for a week, and so on. But I’ll update again soon, and I’ve got some pictures coming! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the video of my father, as I enjoyed making it.