In the evenings everyone would settle into the living room to warm themselves beside their personal digital devices. Nini Thorspecken is a Facebook fanatic. She sat in her green parka with the fur fringed hood chatting to her boyfriend or updating her status. This was the one opportunity I took to sketch her. My sister, Carol Thorspecken Martindale, sat beside her and opened her laptop. I found it fascinating that Carol collects plates to hang on the wall. Ruth, our step mother collected Norman Rockwell plates. Being the youngest child, Carol must have been the most influenced by Ruth’s collection. Carol’s daughter, Anna Martindale, came in and started playing WII. She roped Nini and Kirsten into playing as well. Nini moved on the couch and I decided to sketch her again in her new position.
Anna is very competitive. If there was a setback in the game, she would be upset almost to the point of tears. If she was winning she would be ecstatic and gloat while doing a happy dance. I joined in on a game of bowling. I was new to the game and I dropped the virtual ball on my toes a couple of times. You get to decide what your character looks like by picking eye shapes, nose shapes etc. I decided to give myself a big puffed up afro haircut. I didn’t win a single game. When I needed to throw straight, the ball curved with English. When I wanted to clip a pin to make a split, the ball would roll between the pins. I was getting a few strikes near the end I think because I was kicking up my right foot to finish my stroke like a cupid on a fountain.