Well, I took the plunge and spent five days with the family in sunny Bermuda with no phone or net access. Mind you, if you saw the insipid kind of correspondence lately, you’d opt-out, too.

Here we are waiting for a glass-bottom boat. Since my Amazon books didn’t ship in time, there was plenty of time to think: about life, work, my art, music and just about everything.

I was nearly distraught when I realized how far out of my control my free time has become; only fifteen years ago I would have been sketching landscapes madly plein air, and closing every bar. Was I better off then? No. Was I more prolific – yes!

On an unrelated note I just landed a Line6 Guitar PODxt Live on eBay, and also quit the cover band I have been in for a few years in a “last straw” type of dispute about being short-changed. Trey Gunn once said “Don’t play music you don’t like – it poisons your relationship with music”.

Now I’ll have the free time to concentrate more on my artwork and home recording pursuits.

A colleague turned me on to Microsoft’s Live Search Club. It’s a way to convert my online crossword playing habit into “tickets” redeemable for real merchandise. I’ve decided to aim for the top prize, the Xbox 360 and I’m about 1/6 of the way there. [Edit: now 1/3]

I am truly obsessed with this. The family is out of town so I can play a little longer than usual.

I have also picked up Christopher Hart’s “Manga Mania Bishoujo” because I’ve always wanted to look into this art style.

Is this any way for a grown man to behave once left to his own devices?

Finally, the second episode of my first online game launched on Slingo today.