While You Were Out . . .

I've been really sick since last Tuesday (that's about when it started).  My life put-on-hold.  I sat under this light (sometimes off, sometimes on) for much of the time.  Not getting anything done.

I started reading these books I've had for awhile . . . My whole body ached.  My head throbbing.  I never felt so weak - and I lost about 6 lbs. in 6 days.  Not good.  The books both take place in California, in about the same county.  I bought Cannery Row on the suggestion of Max at 4Q - and I like the way Hunter S. Thompson writes.  I read Sonny's version (which is great), now I'm reading Hunter's version. 

Not one to lay around and do nothing, I made a few valiant attempts to do stuff.  I needed some sort of forward progress I could achieve inside the house without too much effort.  I was really sick and didn't feel like doing shit.

Maybe I could stripe my rims?  I'd been thinking about it - and I didn't want it too bright.  The One Shot paints are fine, but Fire Red is too orange, Bright Red is too bright when painted on black.  Their Maroon is too purplish.  I found this old can of Sherwin Williams - Carmine.  It's a very old can of enamel, but I shook it - and it sounds good?  A local sign painter named David Scrimger gave me all kinds of paint from his days of sign painting in Los Angeles, San Diego and here in Iowa. 

The can had the name Paul Pellner on it.  Who's Paul Pellner?  Maybe I should call Dave and ask him who he was?  So I called Scrimger, and asked him about Paul.  He told me Pellner was one of the best layout and sign painting artists he ever saw.  "You give him a sign job, or a banner to paint . . . and what you got back was a real advertisement !"  A beautiful piece of work."  Very detailed and perfect on proportion and style.  Paul was from right here in Charles City, and many of the signs throughout the city in the 50s and 60s were from Pellner. 

This old KEM Bulletin Color No. 106 Carmine is a beautiful shade of a classis evening lipstick red.  It striped great - and I didn't thin it or anything.  It flowed like genuine, old vintage enamel paint should . . . rims striped in the tradition, and with honor of Mr. Paul Pellner.