I was once told when I was a kid that my names meaning is bitter-sweet. I recall this conversation clearly, and I also recall having to look up a definition or two to help better explain to me what bitter-sweet means. You hear it often in terms of a "bitter-sweet victory" as in meaning although something terrible has happened in the mean time the outcome was as you had original hoped. Sort of like feeling bad about a good situation. I've spent a lot of time reflecting on this, and how it relates to me as a name. I guess I decided somewhere along the line that as a name it means I'm agreeable yet contrary, nice but with a sharp edge, or to sum it up in one of my favourite english words, oxymoronic. If you don't know what an oxymoron is bitter-sweet is a good example. Another example is "jumbo shrimp" or "microsoft works". I've gone through a healthy part of my life laughing about this, but today at my class I realised exactly how true this is of me.
We've been doing a ton of self assesment projects, such as the Myers-Briggs test and today we did the Holland Code. In all of these I'm seeing some seriously fundamental differences within myself, and it's leaving me a little confused but at the same time kind of assured (go figure its giving me dual feelings). Specifically today with the code test I came up as AC - which means Artistic and Conventional. These two things are complete opposites on the Holland Code scale. Artistic means you are free spirited, impulsive, creative, a thinker or a dreamer, and may rebel against structure and conformity. Conventional means that you like structure, prefer calculations and data, are the kind of person who likes to do office type work, are well organized and practical. Trust me when I tell you this leaves me a little confused.
The whole purpose of defining ourselves with this code is to find out what sort of jobs or careers we may be suited for. Me being AC means that I'm on both ends of this scale. And I've done work suggested for both of these types, clerical and artistic. Don't get me wrong, I can definately see both traits of these code types in myself, but in different ways. I think I'm more of a C in regards to work, I get anal about organization, I like effeciency, I want to see results and I don't mind being told what I need to do. Well, as long as I can do it in my own way and with a lot of self expression. I have to believe that my C traits are more learned, and the things I do to control my more A traits. It's something interesting to consider, whether I was born a contradiction, or if I just had to manipulate myself to be so contrary to be able to function in the real world. Because let's face it, you can't feel secure living like an impulsive A - well, at least I can't because home and family values are important to me, and I can't just up and leave responsibilites (well I can but I have to make myself believe I can't or it becomes too easy, you know?)
It got even more interesting when we did a career assesment. It was hillarious! My top job suggestion was "Communications Specialist" very clerical, office oriented kind of work. Next was "Costume Design" how different can you get?! All down the list it was like that. Personal Financial Aid, Photographer, Corporate Trainer, Fashion Design. All things I would definately be interested in and would probably have some skill at, but hilarious to me that it reflected so clearly the same conflicting results as everything else I've done this far in the course has.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share a little bit about how my day went. Other than that, I think I have company coming tonight and I really should clean the house. But I think instead I'm going to finish up the pair of jellyfish I have waiting to be assembled and beaded. Hopefully by the end of this weekend I will get at least 2 more pairs done so I can take them downtown on Monday. Oh, and I need to find out where my voting station is so I can make sure my small voice is heard on Monday, at least a little.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Postalicious
It seems it has been longer than I thought between this and my last update. A lot has happened, but nothing of incredible note.
After I blogged last on Thursday last week I walked to Ms. S's house from mine. It took about and hour, but only because I was dumb and didn't wear proper socks with my red shoes again, and the blisters from the last wrong-socks incident decided to reform with a vengenace, and then burst. This made walking intollerable for the rest of the day, and I wasn't able to make it out to the final end of work party for the old crew from the old job. It seems after I was laid off things continued to go down hill there for others, and they found better options and left too. Makes me feel egotistical, like because I wasn't there in my awesomeness no one else wanted to be there either! But I know that's not the truth. The place was pretty awful and I know it had already gotten under a lot of peoples skin even before things started to go the way that they did.
I really couldn't tell you what else I did over the weekend, other than clean house and craft a bit. It was the Easter long, so I did go have some ham and turkey at my inlaws house. It was pretty nice all in all. Got some chocolate too!
I've got 3 pairs of earings completed, and hopefully I will have at least 3 more finished by the end of the weekend. I'm hoping to get out there and put some in a few local shops as soon as humanly possible. I feel if I have at least 6 pairs I can get them in at least one shop, and that will help. I've got a black pair with black and silver seed beads and some garnet shards. The garnet doesn't stand out as much as I would have hoped, however they do catch the light in a subtley pretty way. I also made a pair of white jellyfish with some opalite shards and blue and pearl seed beads. I like the effect of these ones a lot. My favourite so far are my miniatures, they are made of 30 weight cream cotton crochet threads, where the black is 10 and the white is 20. So they vary in size, which is nice. I would like to get some heavier and lighter threads in all the colours, so I can have all sorts of variations of size. The thing I like the most about the mini's are the colours. I decided to use orange and clear seed beads and some goldstone beads from an anklet I broke a long time ago and never felt the grand desire to fix. I like the stones much better on the jellies!
On Monday I started the Pathways career coaching program. It's pretty interesting, so far we've done a lot of self assesment and profiling type activities. Today we did the Myers-Briggs type indicator test, which is a very interesting personality test. I calculated out to be an ENFP - although my score for F was tied equally with T so I could also perhaps be an ENTP. I laughed really hard at the fact that I was dead centre on the part of the test that denotes your decision making skills, because I am notorious for being indecisive.
So all in all it's been a busy and mentally exhausting week. I've had a few revelations already about myself and where I've been, and I hope these translate to where I'll be going next. I really think I might have some schooling in my future, and I think things are starting to work out more positive now. At least, I'm feeling a lot more positive!
After I blogged last on Thursday last week I walked to Ms. S's house from mine. It took about and hour, but only because I was dumb and didn't wear proper socks with my red shoes again, and the blisters from the last wrong-socks incident decided to reform with a vengenace, and then burst. This made walking intollerable for the rest of the day, and I wasn't able to make it out to the final end of work party for the old crew from the old job. It seems after I was laid off things continued to go down hill there for others, and they found better options and left too. Makes me feel egotistical, like because I wasn't there in my awesomeness no one else wanted to be there either! But I know that's not the truth. The place was pretty awful and I know it had already gotten under a lot of peoples skin even before things started to go the way that they did.
I really couldn't tell you what else I did over the weekend, other than clean house and craft a bit. It was the Easter long, so I did go have some ham and turkey at my inlaws house. It was pretty nice all in all. Got some chocolate too!
I've got 3 pairs of earings completed, and hopefully I will have at least 3 more finished by the end of the weekend. I'm hoping to get out there and put some in a few local shops as soon as humanly possible. I feel if I have at least 6 pairs I can get them in at least one shop, and that will help. I've got a black pair with black and silver seed beads and some garnet shards. The garnet doesn't stand out as much as I would have hoped, however they do catch the light in a subtley pretty way. I also made a pair of white jellyfish with some opalite shards and blue and pearl seed beads. I like the effect of these ones a lot. My favourite so far are my miniatures, they are made of 30 weight cream cotton crochet threads, where the black is 10 and the white is 20. So they vary in size, which is nice. I would like to get some heavier and lighter threads in all the colours, so I can have all sorts of variations of size. The thing I like the most about the mini's are the colours. I decided to use orange and clear seed beads and some goldstone beads from an anklet I broke a long time ago and never felt the grand desire to fix. I like the stones much better on the jellies!
On Monday I started the Pathways career coaching program. It's pretty interesting, so far we've done a lot of self assesment and profiling type activities. Today we did the Myers-Briggs type indicator test, which is a very interesting personality test. I calculated out to be an ENFP - although my score for F was tied equally with T so I could also perhaps be an ENTP. I laughed really hard at the fact that I was dead centre on the part of the test that denotes your decision making skills, because I am notorious for being indecisive.
So all in all it's been a busy and mentally exhausting week. I've had a few revelations already about myself and where I've been, and I hope these translate to where I'll be going next. I really think I might have some schooling in my future, and I think things are starting to work out more positive now. At least, I'm feeling a lot more positive!
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Epic!
Yesterday was definately a win in my books. It began as many days begin, woke up, made coffee, and then my sister and I took her girls for an adventure on the bus to the Michaels craft store! I needed to get some earing hooks and wanted to look at getting some natural stone beads. It was my 2 year old neices very first time taking the bus, and she had a blast. It was so much fun going to the stores with her, picking up everything and shouting "This guy, mummy!" to show us some pretty beads, or a bucket, or some foam letters. She loved the silk flowers, and the foam and feather birds. We thought we were making good time, but we wound up not getting back to my sisters place until 3:00, 2 hours past nap time, because even though we left the Wal-Mart complex at 1:30, it took that much longer between catching the bus down the hill and transferring to get to our side of town. Luckily the littler one got to nap on the bus, so it was just the older girl that was getting quite grumpy by the time we got her home.
I successfully bought things, including earing hooks, some head pins, garnet beads, coral beads, opal beads and amethyst beads. So I was able to finish up the awesome present for my friend's birthday! Unfortunately, I'm a complete dolt and forgot to take pictures of the finished project. I do however have a couple pics of the project before adding in the coral and the earing hooks.
Lacey Jellyfish! Seriously so ridiculously excited by this project. They turned out better than I could have hoped. They look even better with the coral shard beads.
I made a pair for myself too. They don't have any stone beads on them, but I was thinking about putting some amethyst on them if it wont make them too busy. These are a little bigger than the ones I made for Miss S. I used size 20 crochet yarn for hers, and size 10 for mine.
Lenore was convinced that I had made the second pair for her. She watched the entire process, didn't bug me or attack the thread as I was working on them. But as soon as I put them down she tried to steal them, but the camera caught her in the act.
This post is going to be long, because not only am I showing you the gorgeous lace jellyfish, I also made Miss S the bestest growed up birthday cake ever. EVER! Last year on her birthday, Miss S introduced me to Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half one of the funniest blogs I have ever read. The very first post I read that fateful night was about the Alot. Miss S and I had a grand time forcing nearly everyone to sit down at her laptop and read that post, which really is so funny it took little convincing. I laughed so hard I was crying, and I mean like the amount of tears usually reserved for a serious sadness kind of crying. I had never ever in my life cried so hard from laughter. It was amazing. Thus, it was resolved that Miss S would have Alot of cake for her next birthday, and I said "I can make that happen". So I did.
Now for the next year Miss S mentioned her Alot of cake at least once a month, and at every friends birthday that passed. So I knew it was a big deal. I have never really decorated a cake before, not without adult supervision, so I enlisted my sister for help. She's one of the best bakers I know, and loves cake decorating. For Christmas last year she got a very awesome very expensive decorating kit, that has everything you need for perfect cake and looks like a toolbox.
We started off by making 2 lemon cakes, boxed cake I'll admit it. But instead of milk I used water, and instead of oil unsweetened apple sauce. This is something my sister did for my neices birthday, and it gave the cake such a wonderful texture and makes it stay moist for so much longer, as well as helps cut the fat content. Also it makes the cake dairy free, and Miss S's boyfriend is lactose intollerant. Next I made the butter icing, using my sisters home-made butter. Yes, she's such an earth momma now I'm so proud of her! I wish I had gotten pictures of my icing making ability, I had to clean her entire kitchen of the icing sugar I managed to get everywhere. I am chaos on two legs, so when my sister said we could decorate at her place she knew what she was getting into. I cleaned up the mess before I left this time though!
As a filler in the lemon cake we used unsweetend raspberry preserves. Very tart, but with icing and the cake it was really light and refreshing instead of something like a pudding which would have defeated the purpose of it being dairy free. Then to decorate! This was the best part!
I drew on it, Alot! We didn't have enough icing to really colour him in with the brown of Allies original picture, so I decided we'd outline him then fill him with raspberry preserves for colour. Because Miss S told me once she likes raspberry Alot. Sadly, he looked like he'd been shot, and this breeded a very morbid conversation about what Alot of Mass Murder would look like. He also had a sad face, like he didn't want to be eaten. So we added in a speach bubble on the side saying "Don't eat Alot!"
Around the other side of the cake it says "Awesome Growed Up Birthday Cake!"
All in all, it turned out amazing and it was such a fun night. And so tasty too!!
I successfully bought things, including earing hooks, some head pins, garnet beads, coral beads, opal beads and amethyst beads. So I was able to finish up the awesome present for my friend's birthday! Unfortunately, I'm a complete dolt and forgot to take pictures of the finished project. I do however have a couple pics of the project before adding in the coral and the earing hooks.
Lacey Jellyfish! Seriously so ridiculously excited by this project. They turned out better than I could have hoped. They look even better with the coral shard beads.
I made a pair for myself too. They don't have any stone beads on them, but I was thinking about putting some amethyst on them if it wont make them too busy. These are a little bigger than the ones I made for Miss S. I used size 20 crochet yarn for hers, and size 10 for mine.
Lenore was convinced that I had made the second pair for her. She watched the entire process, didn't bug me or attack the thread as I was working on them. But as soon as I put them down she tried to steal them, but the camera caught her in the act.
This post is going to be long, because not only am I showing you the gorgeous lace jellyfish, I also made Miss S the bestest growed up birthday cake ever. EVER! Last year on her birthday, Miss S introduced me to Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half one of the funniest blogs I have ever read. The very first post I read that fateful night was about the Alot. Miss S and I had a grand time forcing nearly everyone to sit down at her laptop and read that post, which really is so funny it took little convincing. I laughed so hard I was crying, and I mean like the amount of tears usually reserved for a serious sadness kind of crying. I had never ever in my life cried so hard from laughter. It was amazing. Thus, it was resolved that Miss S would have Alot of cake for her next birthday, and I said "I can make that happen". So I did.
Now for the next year Miss S mentioned her Alot of cake at least once a month, and at every friends birthday that passed. So I knew it was a big deal. I have never really decorated a cake before, not without adult supervision, so I enlisted my sister for help. She's one of the best bakers I know, and loves cake decorating. For Christmas last year she got a very awesome very expensive decorating kit, that has everything you need for perfect cake and looks like a toolbox.
We started off by making 2 lemon cakes, boxed cake I'll admit it. But instead of milk I used water, and instead of oil unsweetened apple sauce. This is something my sister did for my neices birthday, and it gave the cake such a wonderful texture and makes it stay moist for so much longer, as well as helps cut the fat content. Also it makes the cake dairy free, and Miss S's boyfriend is lactose intollerant. Next I made the butter icing, using my sisters home-made butter. Yes, she's such an earth momma now I'm so proud of her! I wish I had gotten pictures of my icing making ability, I had to clean her entire kitchen of the icing sugar I managed to get everywhere. I am chaos on two legs, so when my sister said we could decorate at her place she knew what she was getting into. I cleaned up the mess before I left this time though!
As a filler in the lemon cake we used unsweetend raspberry preserves. Very tart, but with icing and the cake it was really light and refreshing instead of something like a pudding which would have defeated the purpose of it being dairy free. Then to decorate! This was the best part!
I drew on it, Alot! We didn't have enough icing to really colour him in with the brown of Allies original picture, so I decided we'd outline him then fill him with raspberry preserves for colour. Because Miss S told me once she likes raspberry Alot. Sadly, he looked like he'd been shot, and this breeded a very morbid conversation about what Alot of Mass Murder would look like. He also had a sad face, like he didn't want to be eaten. So we added in a speach bubble on the side saying "Don't eat Alot!"
Around the other side of the cake it says "Awesome Growed Up Birthday Cake!"
All in all, it turned out amazing and it was such a fun night. And so tasty too!!
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
So much to do, so little sleep!
I'm already just about finished my super secret birthday present project, I just need to get some hardware to finish it off. I was so excited about this project and so pleased with the outcome I wound up making it for myself too. I will definately post pictures either tomorrow or the day after, as it's Miss S's birthday tomorrow and she'll be recieving the gift then. I know she doesn't have the interwebs installed at her new place until Thursday this week, but that doesn't mean she wont find a way to check this blog before then and I don't want to ruin the surprise!
I have a meeting today at 1 downtown today, something to go over my resume with work search people and to be more effective at job searching. So far I feel like I've been kinda lax on that front, I mean I keep handing out resumes but I guess I'm being picky. I just don't want to work at Wal-Mart, you know?
After that I have alot of cake to make tonight. Again, for Miss S's birthday. After my meeting I'm going to my sisters house with my springform pan and we're going to bake the cake. Then tomorrow I'm going to walk over there and we'll decorate it. I'll see if I can maybe get a cake box to put it in. Definately will take many pictures of the cake project as well!
Well, I need to start getting ready to leave. Adios!
I have a meeting today at 1 downtown today, something to go over my resume with work search people and to be more effective at job searching. So far I feel like I've been kinda lax on that front, I mean I keep handing out resumes but I guess I'm being picky. I just don't want to work at Wal-Mart, you know?
After that I have alot of cake to make tonight. Again, for Miss S's birthday. After my meeting I'm going to my sisters house with my springform pan and we're going to bake the cake. Then tomorrow I'm going to walk over there and we'll decorate it. I'll see if I can maybe get a cake box to put it in. Definately will take many pictures of the cake project as well!
Well, I need to start getting ready to leave. Adios!
Monday, 18 April 2011
I just don't know anymore.
I've had a very angry head of steam lately, and for someone like me that's really emotionally trying to keep up. I'm tired of being angry all the time, I prefer my general state of apathetic idealism. I prefer to be at peace, and ever since I was a kid I've practiced meditation. It's a great way to come to terms with the stress and anger that every day life can instill. Yet with all that's been going on, I feel my anger is justifiable, not just a tantrum. So it's really hard to find a balance between keeping up that steam and going ahead with actions in connection with all that has been causing the anger. Its a double edged sword. Normally, I would just purge myself of all the negativity, abuse and harrasment by putting it behind me and letting myself move on without it. Yet this time it almost feels like that is the wrong thing to do, that I should in fact hold on to the anger and take action. As much as I like to advocate for the underdog, I never really enjoy doing it for myself. It takes what I feel is a lot of negativity to continue being angry with people for wronging me. It's easier to feel empassioned about other peoples stress and drama, and to take arms for them than it is for me to take up arms for myself. I'm at a bit of a stalemate, I don't really know what I should do. I'm getting a lot of advice to keep it up, to push, to take action. Yet I don't know anymore if I fully feel that it's worth my time. Although I am hurt and angry, especially about a lot of the bulk of my last blog posting, I'm out of that environment, and I don't want it to keep affecting me and colouring my life with anger. I guess it's time to do some soul searching and decide for myself what I really want to achieve in spite of or even because of all of this personal drama.
Outside of that! I started on a super secret awesome project yesterday. It's for my friend's birthday, and so far it's amazing. It involves crochet, and yes it is intended to be jewelry. I was inspired by both the irish lace patterns I have and something I saw in a local cafe shop. Once she has the present I'll definately post some pictures. I'm also going to make it for myself too, probably in a different colour because so far it is in fact incredible. Gah! These make me so excited I can't even express how much glee it gives me!
I've come up with some really interesting ideas for more crochet projects, things based on the stuff I love. Including something based off of a wicked crocheted C'thulu I saw online when I google searched for "weird crochet". I know he's a full sized plushy, but I really want a pair of Cro-thulu earings now! Also on the list: crochet Beholder necklace, and a crochet jellyfish scarf. I just love the idea of having a long tendrily scarf jellyfish to circle my neck and keep me warm. The only question I have now is do I bother making the cap part a hood or not?
I do still intend to actually make some of the irish lace jewelry from the patterns I found online, if just to give me a stronger sense of how to redesign some of it to fit into my ideas for some crochet snails, butterflies and snakes as lace jewelry.
Outside of that! I started on a super secret awesome project yesterday. It's for my friend's birthday, and so far it's amazing. It involves crochet, and yes it is intended to be jewelry. I was inspired by both the irish lace patterns I have and something I saw in a local cafe shop. Once she has the present I'll definately post some pictures. I'm also going to make it for myself too, probably in a different colour because so far it is in fact incredible. Gah! These make me so excited I can't even express how much glee it gives me!
I've come up with some really interesting ideas for more crochet projects, things based on the stuff I love. Including something based off of a wicked crocheted C'thulu I saw online when I google searched for "weird crochet". I know he's a full sized plushy, but I really want a pair of Cro-thulu earings now! Also on the list: crochet Beholder necklace, and a crochet jellyfish scarf. I just love the idea of having a long tendrily scarf jellyfish to circle my neck and keep me warm. The only question I have now is do I bother making the cap part a hood or not?
I do still intend to actually make some of the irish lace jewelry from the patterns I found online, if just to give me a stronger sense of how to redesign some of it to fit into my ideas for some crochet snails, butterflies and snakes as lace jewelry.
Friday, 15 April 2011
... ellipse ...
Alright. First off I have to say I'm in kind of a bad mood. It's not yet time to entirely explain the entire situation online, it is a public forum, but it began on Wednesday. I have been trying to be proactive lately, working on stepping forward and getting out of this sad funk I've been in for the last little while, only to be made entirely angry by the fact that the job I was just layed off from less than 3 weeks ago due to "lack of work" has a posting online for my position exactly, offering 35 hours a week at my wage too. This is very, very frustrating. They didn't call me, so it really feels now like they were trying to force me out, not just relieve the budget temporarily. I chose to take the lay off because financially it made more sense, they told me they were cutting back my hours to 2-4 hours a day for maybe 5 days a week, and I couldn't see that being financially wise or even possible as there's no public transporatation to that part of town and I don't have my drivers liscence. Especially since they were talking as though it was an indeffinate thing, and I was only given the two choices. So I took the lay off. That being said, I honestly expected them to at least call me back when things started to pick up again, even though due to other stressful health concerns and harrassment issues I wasn't honestly sure if I'd want to go back, and now I feel even worse about that place. On one hand I thought they had made a mistake in laying me off when they did, but on the other I didn't expect it to pick up again so soon, otherwise I may not have taken the lay off at all. But not being gauranteed full time and the possibility of having to get a second job was a major stress I wasn't really ready to face and wound up throwing myself into a different kind of stressful situation as a result. I feel like I'm in a bit of a bind, and I don't know what I can do other than rage about this. I tried making some phone calls I was told to make if this happened, but no one is being helpful on the other end and it's making me even more angry. I thought the system was designed to help in these exact situations, and I'm not pleased with the bitch on the phone I spoke to to first, she's quite negatively coloured this situation from how I apathetic I was feeling about it all yesterday.
*pause ranting to answer phone call*
Well, that was a lot better. He listened entirely, didn't act like a bitch and say things like "well how does that matter to us?" like the last lady did. Now I just have to wait around for more phone calls to figure out where I stand and what to do on this.
At least it's something...
... siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh...
Now that I've gotten that out there, let's talk about something else!
Mr. C's cat Lenore snuck into the spare room last night like the ninja she is, and got herself locked inside all night. When Mr. C realised she wasn't curling around his ankles like she normally does in the mornings he looked for her. When he found her she lectured him about having been cooped up in that room all night, I heard her meows from my half asleep state. I had decided being awake was for chumps, so I stayed in bed and wound up with her tipping my cup of water onto my head as a wake up call shortly before 10. Probably a good thing that I woke up, but not a pleasant way to wake. I hope it made her feel better, at least.
I have this feeling that there was something important I was supposed to do today, but I honestly can't figure out what that is. I'm stressed and worried and waiting for phone calls now, so perhaps thats all there is to this feeling. But it's bothering me still. I think I'll take this opportunity to start my yards spring treatment, that might be a good way to take my mind off of things while I wait for phone calls to come in. At least I can take some rage out pruning my roses and maybe I'll dig a hole. Don't know what to dig a hole for, but playing in the dirt seems like it will be nice and cathartic.
*pause ranting to answer phone call*
Well, that was a lot better. He listened entirely, didn't act like a bitch and say things like "well how does that matter to us?" like the last lady did. Now I just have to wait around for more phone calls to figure out where I stand and what to do on this.
At least it's something...
... siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh...
Now that I've gotten that out there, let's talk about something else!
Mr. C's cat Lenore snuck into the spare room last night like the ninja she is, and got herself locked inside all night. When Mr. C realised she wasn't curling around his ankles like she normally does in the mornings he looked for her. When he found her she lectured him about having been cooped up in that room all night, I heard her meows from my half asleep state. I had decided being awake was for chumps, so I stayed in bed and wound up with her tipping my cup of water onto my head as a wake up call shortly before 10. Probably a good thing that I woke up, but not a pleasant way to wake. I hope it made her feel better, at least.
I have this feeling that there was something important I was supposed to do today, but I honestly can't figure out what that is. I'm stressed and worried and waiting for phone calls now, so perhaps thats all there is to this feeling. But it's bothering me still. I think I'll take this opportunity to start my yards spring treatment, that might be a good way to take my mind off of things while I wait for phone calls to come in. At least I can take some rage out pruning my roses and maybe I'll dig a hole. Don't know what to dig a hole for, but playing in the dirt seems like it will be nice and cathartic.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
When I was a kid...
When I was a kid...
I thought only doctors shopped at body shops, because thats where you find replacement body parts. (I'll take and arm and a leg please)
Flea markets were to be avoided at all costs, unless you were trying to hire a flea circus.
I believed you ironed your clothes to infuse them with metal, and thus make them more durable.
Bullet proof vests were just ironed a lot.
"Don't Drink and Dive" meant no liquids at all behind the wheel, and if you were thirsty, you should pull over.
I didn't understand why "the birds and the bees" constituted a private chat with your parents. And really, how did insects and fowl make babies anyway?
We called a friend of mine Dildo. I thought it was an Australian dog.
The first time I heard someone refer to a "trouser snake" I was terrified. I thought they were the same kind of snakes I was convinced lived in toilets and bit your butt if you were on it for too long.
When my dad told us that freckles were made of frickles, which were freckles on the inside, I believed him. Until I was 15.
I knew girls were superior, because we get to sit down when we pee, and don't have to worry about things like aim. Although trouser snakes were a deadly possibility.
I once jumped a fence to see if the grass really looked greener if I was on the other side.
One of our favorite games was "See a Car and Freeze" which involved stopping in the middle of the road to force the driver to swerve out of our way. No one died, surprisingly.
I thought only doctors shopped at body shops, because thats where you find replacement body parts. (I'll take and arm and a leg please)
Flea markets were to be avoided at all costs, unless you were trying to hire a flea circus.
I believed you ironed your clothes to infuse them with metal, and thus make them more durable.
Bullet proof vests were just ironed a lot.
"Don't Drink and Dive" meant no liquids at all behind the wheel, and if you were thirsty, you should pull over.
I didn't understand why "the birds and the bees" constituted a private chat with your parents. And really, how did insects and fowl make babies anyway?
We called a friend of mine Dildo. I thought it was an Australian dog.
The first time I heard someone refer to a "trouser snake" I was terrified. I thought they were the same kind of snakes I was convinced lived in toilets and bit your butt if you were on it for too long.
When my dad told us that freckles were made of frickles, which were freckles on the inside, I believed him. Until I was 15.
I knew girls were superior, because we get to sit down when we pee, and don't have to worry about things like aim. Although trouser snakes were a deadly possibility.
I once jumped a fence to see if the grass really looked greener if I was on the other side.
One of our favorite games was "See a Car and Freeze" which involved stopping in the middle of the road to force the driver to swerve out of our way. No one died, surprisingly.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Command and Conquer!
This weekend I finally defeated a deadly foe. Mt. Laundry. To be fair, I'm talking about the smaller mountain containing only my clothes, not Mr. C's clothes and not household laundry like towels etc. You see, it has been... well, since Mr. C and I moved into our first apartment together I think, that I have actually had all of my clothes washed, folded and put away at the same time. Not that it hasn't been washed at all in the six years, but there always has been a small to large pile of laundry at the foot of my bed that rotates contents frequently. This is due to an epic closet space struggle and the both of us owning enough clothing that we could perhaps fill a small second hand clothing store. But I finally broke down and decided that minimalism is in. And getting rid of things might give me the ability to put stuff away, and perhaps eventually even get more things! And does this girl ever like her things!
I didn't manage to win at fish tanks this weekend, but I've got the process started. It will be awhile once my 10 gallon is running to properly cycle it anyway, so it's not like I'll be able to toss the 3 fishies who will be making there home there in it right away.
There's been some sadness in the past few days since I last posted, as my in-laws had to have one of their dogs put down. He had an aggressive tumour in his lung. I'll be honest I cried really hard, and I still keep tearing up when I think about it. I'm going to miss him a lot, he was a really good dog.
Also didn't get much crafty things done this weekend either. I was discouraged to learn that my cities only fabric store is closed until Thursday, which put a hamper on the dress I had intended to make this week. I have half the fabric, but wanted to purchase a pattern and some contrast fabric for this gorgeous wrap dress. Of course, I had some intended alterations to the pattern (alter it to have a boat neck perhaps instead?) and I was intending to use some pretty incredible teal satin blend fabric with a large paisley pattern with hints of burgundy and some plaid in green and cream. It's fabulous, and once I actually get some headway on it I'll post some pics.
Perhaps instead I should finish re-organizing the craft space, as I still have a large box of fabric to relocate into it's home. And then I can put some pictures up of my awesome abilities of organization.
I didn't manage to win at fish tanks this weekend, but I've got the process started. It will be awhile once my 10 gallon is running to properly cycle it anyway, so it's not like I'll be able to toss the 3 fishies who will be making there home there in it right away.
There's been some sadness in the past few days since I last posted, as my in-laws had to have one of their dogs put down. He had an aggressive tumour in his lung. I'll be honest I cried really hard, and I still keep tearing up when I think about it. I'm going to miss him a lot, he was a really good dog.
Also didn't get much crafty things done this weekend either. I was discouraged to learn that my cities only fabric store is closed until Thursday, which put a hamper on the dress I had intended to make this week. I have half the fabric, but wanted to purchase a pattern and some contrast fabric for this gorgeous wrap dress. Of course, I had some intended alterations to the pattern (alter it to have a boat neck perhaps instead?) and I was intending to use some pretty incredible teal satin blend fabric with a large paisley pattern with hints of burgundy and some plaid in green and cream. It's fabulous, and once I actually get some headway on it I'll post some pics.
Perhaps instead I should finish re-organizing the craft space, as I still have a large box of fabric to relocate into it's home. And then I can put some pictures up of my awesome abilities of organization.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Regiment, structure and... smoothies?
I am a creature of habit. What does this mean? I flounder without the consistancy of routine. This past week has been a lovely respite from reality, but although I've been actively e-mailing out resumes all week I know that it's coming down to a point where I'm going to have to actually get out of my house for more than just a double jaunt to the grocery store. If I allow myself to stagnate in this routine of sleeping in, getting a little housework done and then settling into a crafty project thats all I'm going to want to be doing and the part where I go and look for a new job is going to get more difficult. I figure my knee is good enough that I can walk around comfortably as long as I take it easy and remember to not speedwalk or run, and to take breaks. So there really is no excuse left anymore for getting my feet to the pavement and canvasing for some form of employment, or at least heading down to the work search centre and getting a clearer view on my options right now. Although this doesn't mean that I can't be a little bit picky about it all if I want too.
I want to try and work out some sort of a system for myself to keep to, something to help myself maintain consistency in my energy levels and in the amount I achieve in a week. If this means I have to harshly schedual myself hour by hour by god I will do it. At least until I become more comfortable and positive with the idea of holding myself accountable to my own daily goals. I have a problem with sheer laziness in that I will come up with a master plan, power towards said plan until I completely burn myself out, and then I give up. And really, that's no way to achieve anything and is often why my larger projects fall to the sides and I wind up starting a million things before I even finish one. This is why the SCA gown I made over 6 years ago never wound up having all the silver trim sewn on.
I often promise myself I'm not going to fall into the same traps with my creative works, and that this time it'll be different! I'll be more motivated, I'll get it done, I'll start up a blog and finally make up a solid portfolio and start up that custom corset website I've been dreaming of since I started sewing and costuming when I was 17. Well, at least this time I went ahead with the blogging part? And I've maintained it for like, a week. Go me!
Today I've decided it's time to return my attention to another one of my hobbies that has recently fallen to the wayside due to, quite honestly, depression. Which is mostly caused by the amount of money that is burned going into it, with absolutely no chance for financial return. Not that all hobbies require any sort of financial gain to be pleasant and rewarding, but I was getting depressed over the lack of reward with my latest venture into this. I'm talking aquariums.
Last year for a birthday present to myself I bought a 40 gallon aquarium. I already had been given a 10 gallon a few years back and a 20 gallon, and had managed to keep them well enough alive for a long-ish period of time that I thought it might be fun to get into something a little larger with some heartier fish. I was wrong. A year and a bit later and my 10 gallon is cleaned out and shelfed, my 20 gallon I've allowed to turn into about six inches of swamp water by letting it just evaporate itself away instead of cleaning out the damn empty tank, and the 40 gallon only has 2 danios and 1 chinese algae eater left out of a long string of dozens of different tank mates. Over the last year I probably spent at least $600 in an effort to maintain and save these tanks from repeated illness and parasitic infections, only to learn that it was all a waste of my time and money and even though I'd grown attached to the fish there was nothing I could have done to save them. Now that I know this I think it's time to transfer the 3 remaining fish into the 10 gallon, clean out both the 20 and 40 and perhaps reboot the 20 gallon in a few months when I have some money to put into it. For now I intend to use the fake plants I have to give the 10 gallon a false sense of greenery. The only thing I need to buy is some gravel, and by Monday I should have everything cleaned out and taken care of, if Mr. C is willing to assist me.
Yesterday I got to working on a couple of crocheted hats for my little neices. My sister said she wanted to get or make them both some tam hats for the spring, and I remembered I had a few skeens of some purple bernat satin cotton left from a failed attempt to make a shawl a few years ago. The reason it failed is that I didn't pay enough attention to the pattern and wound up making an extra small/childs size instead of my size shawl. But now my sister has two little girls so I might just complete the thing (stitch both sides together and finish putting on the tassels) and give it to one of them. And the hats will match! I'm working the pattern really simply from my head to give it a good floppy artsy tam feel. I also finished a crocheted tigerseye pendant and the framework for a second pendant. The second one I was trying to make something free form and asymetrical, Mr. C thinks it looks like a graphic interpretation of a rose and suggested I hang a piece of rose quartz inside of it. I like the idea, but that means I'm going to have to purchase some more stones!
It's a gorgeous morning and my sister just called and invited me to go with her to the park and then up to Costco. I'm going to make myself a smoothie and get dressed, pack up my crochet work, and head out. After that, I'll be heading out to a Ms. S's house to help her sort her wardrobe. Action packed day again my friends!
I want to try and work out some sort of a system for myself to keep to, something to help myself maintain consistency in my energy levels and in the amount I achieve in a week. If this means I have to harshly schedual myself hour by hour by god I will do it. At least until I become more comfortable and positive with the idea of holding myself accountable to my own daily goals. I have a problem with sheer laziness in that I will come up with a master plan, power towards said plan until I completely burn myself out, and then I give up. And really, that's no way to achieve anything and is often why my larger projects fall to the sides and I wind up starting a million things before I even finish one. This is why the SCA gown I made over 6 years ago never wound up having all the silver trim sewn on.
I often promise myself I'm not going to fall into the same traps with my creative works, and that this time it'll be different! I'll be more motivated, I'll get it done, I'll start up a blog and finally make up a solid portfolio and start up that custom corset website I've been dreaming of since I started sewing and costuming when I was 17. Well, at least this time I went ahead with the blogging part? And I've maintained it for like, a week. Go me!
Today I've decided it's time to return my attention to another one of my hobbies that has recently fallen to the wayside due to, quite honestly, depression. Which is mostly caused by the amount of money that is burned going into it, with absolutely no chance for financial return. Not that all hobbies require any sort of financial gain to be pleasant and rewarding, but I was getting depressed over the lack of reward with my latest venture into this. I'm talking aquariums.
Last year for a birthday present to myself I bought a 40 gallon aquarium. I already had been given a 10 gallon a few years back and a 20 gallon, and had managed to keep them well enough alive for a long-ish period of time that I thought it might be fun to get into something a little larger with some heartier fish. I was wrong. A year and a bit later and my 10 gallon is cleaned out and shelfed, my 20 gallon I've allowed to turn into about six inches of swamp water by letting it just evaporate itself away instead of cleaning out the damn empty tank, and the 40 gallon only has 2 danios and 1 chinese algae eater left out of a long string of dozens of different tank mates. Over the last year I probably spent at least $600 in an effort to maintain and save these tanks from repeated illness and parasitic infections, only to learn that it was all a waste of my time and money and even though I'd grown attached to the fish there was nothing I could have done to save them. Now that I know this I think it's time to transfer the 3 remaining fish into the 10 gallon, clean out both the 20 and 40 and perhaps reboot the 20 gallon in a few months when I have some money to put into it. For now I intend to use the fake plants I have to give the 10 gallon a false sense of greenery. The only thing I need to buy is some gravel, and by Monday I should have everything cleaned out and taken care of, if Mr. C is willing to assist me.
Yesterday I got to working on a couple of crocheted hats for my little neices. My sister said she wanted to get or make them both some tam hats for the spring, and I remembered I had a few skeens of some purple bernat satin cotton left from a failed attempt to make a shawl a few years ago. The reason it failed is that I didn't pay enough attention to the pattern and wound up making an extra small/childs size instead of my size shawl. But now my sister has two little girls so I might just complete the thing (stitch both sides together and finish putting on the tassels) and give it to one of them. And the hats will match! I'm working the pattern really simply from my head to give it a good floppy artsy tam feel. I also finished a crocheted tigerseye pendant and the framework for a second pendant. The second one I was trying to make something free form and asymetrical, Mr. C thinks it looks like a graphic interpretation of a rose and suggested I hang a piece of rose quartz inside of it. I like the idea, but that means I'm going to have to purchase some more stones!
It's a gorgeous morning and my sister just called and invited me to go with her to the park and then up to Costco. I'm going to make myself a smoothie and get dressed, pack up my crochet work, and head out. After that, I'll be heading out to a Ms. S's house to help her sort her wardrobe. Action packed day again my friends!
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Why do my shoes want to eat my feet?
So today I decided it would be a good idea to walk to the grocery store. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from my house, no uphill areas, and if I take the back streets I can admire all the pretty little dilapitated houses along the way. I'm a sucker for all the old architecture around this area, the once cookie-cutter 50's style homes that have matured into each having their own personality and life from years of being lived in and not necessarily well cared for. It's a partially cloudy day, but it's warm and it was definately a pleasant walk to the mall where the grocery store is. I wanted to listen to my mp3 player, however it died about two blocks from my house, so although I didn't get the pleasure of listening to music the sounds of seagulls and pigeons and spring birds was pleasant enough.
Once I got to the mall I bought myself a frappacino. Because I haven't splurged on a too-expensive coffee beverage in awhile, it seemed like a good idea and I had found a ten dollar bill in my purse. I got myself into the grocery store, and took my time getting all the things I'd need for spaghetti dinner tonight, and went to the till. Then I realised I had forgotten my wallet, and only had a few dollars left on me in change. Fuuuuck! The woman helping me was really kind, said she does this sort of thing all the time, suspended my groceries and held them at customer service for me so I could run home, get my wallet, and run back.
Halfway home again and I realised my new amazing shoes (they are super bright red and white canvas sneakers, cheap knock-off converse that remind me of David Tennant as Dr. Who's foot wear) that I have been wearing everywhere are making the backs of my heels burn. Burn like burst blisters. These shoes have not once in the 2 weeks I've been wearing them hurt my feet! The ankle socks were a bad choice. I was aggrivated, because I knew when I got home I'd have to change my shoes, and the only other comfortable walking shoes I have right now are pretty much ratched to hell white slip on sneakers. Not to mention I had co-ordinated my whole outfit to the red canvas ones, and it bothered me immensily that the shoes I would be changing into were white, and my pants are off white.
As soon as I got home I ran inside, grabbed my wallet, checked my make-up, and changed my shoes and headed back out. I could have just said screw the groceries, but I'm stubborn and I had already told the lady I'd be back to get them so I felt that I had to go get them now on principle.
Half way back to the store I heard a loud-ish crack, and something began poking at the ball of my foot. I figured the sole of the shoe must have broken, and it was probably just a piece of plastic stabbing me. But I was in a hurry to get to the grocery store, so I didn't check. When I finally got back to the store my knee was killing me from having speed walked home and back again, and then I had to carry 3 bags of groceries home, including some cans. So I bought an Elle magazine and some crazy straws to make up for the stupidity of the situation. And I stopped at Subway to get some lunch, and took the back streets to get home again. Every three steps my foot was being pierced, but still I didn't bother checking because it wasn't terribly painful and I was now on a very uncomfortable mission of getting home and eating lunch, and stopping even for a minute would make this mission take longer.
When I got home I inspected my foot, and noticed there was a big bloody hole in my sock. Well now, I didn't expect that. There was also a nice stain on the inside of my shoe, and my foot is a little scabby. Isn't it funny how when you know you are bleeding the slight discomfort of being poked in the foot actually becomes more painful? I inspected the shoe, it hadn't broken as I'd thought but rather I stepped on a very large construction staple. The crack was the sound of it breaking through the rubber sole, and the reason it didn't hurt with every step was it only just barely poked through. If I had just checked when it happened I wouldn't have a hole poked into my foot, and the walk probably would have been more pleasant.
All in all, an adventure that should have taken maybe a little over an hour wound up taking me just over 2. And I spent more money than I had meant to, on lunch, coffee, and a magazine. The crazy straws were totally worth the $1.50 I spent on them, although now I'm questioning the wisdom in buying a $5.00 magazine filled with clothes I can't afford... I think I'll justify it by cutting it up in a few days when I'm done reading it to make an inspiration poster for sewing some clothes!
Update:
Well, I decided I should get started on my spaghetti sauce and opened my freezer only to see... I have no ground beef! Well, there goes the bolognese sauce idea. Guess we will be having chicken with our spaghetti instead. It's seriously been one of those days.
Updated Update:
Yes, in fact it is a comedy of errors. As I was slicing up the onion the knife slipped in a desperate attempt to detatch the tips from the rest of my fingers. I learned that fingernails are for more than pretty polish! No bleeding, thankfully, but my immediate reaction was to put the offended finger in my mouth. Which brought the onion acids too close to my eyes and I'm wearing mascara. The resulting oniony acidyness caused me to immediately tear up, which caused the mascara and eyeliner I'm wearing to run into my already sensative eyes. I flipped the burner off to go deal with my poor eyeballs, which feel like they have a nice burning plastic film over them. I still can't see normally, and my face is all red and puffy as a result of this fiasco. I headed back into the kitchen only to find that I had turned the burner to MAX HEAT instead of off, and the onions and garlic I had already put in the pot had burned. So I had to cut more, which made my eyes tear up again. Thus I chopped the rest of the veges for the the prima vera sauce haphazardly, and am having much trouble with the vision.
Once I got to the mall I bought myself a frappacino. Because I haven't splurged on a too-expensive coffee beverage in awhile, it seemed like a good idea and I had found a ten dollar bill in my purse. I got myself into the grocery store, and took my time getting all the things I'd need for spaghetti dinner tonight, and went to the till. Then I realised I had forgotten my wallet, and only had a few dollars left on me in change. Fuuuuck! The woman helping me was really kind, said she does this sort of thing all the time, suspended my groceries and held them at customer service for me so I could run home, get my wallet, and run back.
Halfway home again and I realised my new amazing shoes (they are super bright red and white canvas sneakers, cheap knock-off converse that remind me of David Tennant as Dr. Who's foot wear) that I have been wearing everywhere are making the backs of my heels burn. Burn like burst blisters. These shoes have not once in the 2 weeks I've been wearing them hurt my feet! The ankle socks were a bad choice. I was aggrivated, because I knew when I got home I'd have to change my shoes, and the only other comfortable walking shoes I have right now are pretty much ratched to hell white slip on sneakers. Not to mention I had co-ordinated my whole outfit to the red canvas ones, and it bothered me immensily that the shoes I would be changing into were white, and my pants are off white.
As soon as I got home I ran inside, grabbed my wallet, checked my make-up, and changed my shoes and headed back out. I could have just said screw the groceries, but I'm stubborn and I had already told the lady I'd be back to get them so I felt that I had to go get them now on principle.
Half way back to the store I heard a loud-ish crack, and something began poking at the ball of my foot. I figured the sole of the shoe must have broken, and it was probably just a piece of plastic stabbing me. But I was in a hurry to get to the grocery store, so I didn't check. When I finally got back to the store my knee was killing me from having speed walked home and back again, and then I had to carry 3 bags of groceries home, including some cans. So I bought an Elle magazine and some crazy straws to make up for the stupidity of the situation. And I stopped at Subway to get some lunch, and took the back streets to get home again. Every three steps my foot was being pierced, but still I didn't bother checking because it wasn't terribly painful and I was now on a very uncomfortable mission of getting home and eating lunch, and stopping even for a minute would make this mission take longer.
When I got home I inspected my foot, and noticed there was a big bloody hole in my sock. Well now, I didn't expect that. There was also a nice stain on the inside of my shoe, and my foot is a little scabby. Isn't it funny how when you know you are bleeding the slight discomfort of being poked in the foot actually becomes more painful? I inspected the shoe, it hadn't broken as I'd thought but rather I stepped on a very large construction staple. The crack was the sound of it breaking through the rubber sole, and the reason it didn't hurt with every step was it only just barely poked through. If I had just checked when it happened I wouldn't have a hole poked into my foot, and the walk probably would have been more pleasant.
All in all, an adventure that should have taken maybe a little over an hour wound up taking me just over 2. And I spent more money than I had meant to, on lunch, coffee, and a magazine. The crazy straws were totally worth the $1.50 I spent on them, although now I'm questioning the wisdom in buying a $5.00 magazine filled with clothes I can't afford... I think I'll justify it by cutting it up in a few days when I'm done reading it to make an inspiration poster for sewing some clothes!
Update:
Well, I decided I should get started on my spaghetti sauce and opened my freezer only to see... I have no ground beef! Well, there goes the bolognese sauce idea. Guess we will be having chicken with our spaghetti instead. It's seriously been one of those days.
Updated Update:
Yes, in fact it is a comedy of errors. As I was slicing up the onion the knife slipped in a desperate attempt to detatch the tips from the rest of my fingers. I learned that fingernails are for more than pretty polish! No bleeding, thankfully, but my immediate reaction was to put the offended finger in my mouth. Which brought the onion acids too close to my eyes and I'm wearing mascara. The resulting oniony acidyness caused me to immediately tear up, which caused the mascara and eyeliner I'm wearing to run into my already sensative eyes. I flipped the burner off to go deal with my poor eyeballs, which feel like they have a nice burning plastic film over them. I still can't see normally, and my face is all red and puffy as a result of this fiasco. I headed back into the kitchen only to find that I had turned the burner to MAX HEAT instead of off, and the onions and garlic I had already put in the pot had burned. So I had to cut more, which made my eyes tear up again. Thus I chopped the rest of the veges for the the prima vera sauce haphazardly, and am having much trouble with the vision.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
I made a thing!
I'm working out some ideas for crochet rings and bracelets, so I can make some nice sets. Although all my tigers eye is a little too big for rings, I might just splurge and buy some smaller stones.
I also found some really beautiful Irish lace jewelry patterns that I would like to try to make pretty soon, but I might have to take the flowers off, I'm not really a fan of floral. Just isn't my personal taste. Although one of the patterns has mums that remind me of sea anemones, and now I really want to make a random crochet underwater scene.
I used the magical interwebs to picture blog today!
Last night as I was laying in bed I was contemplating all the things I would like to do today and for the rest of the week, and how it's unfortunate that I don't have my drivers liscence with the old car sitting so nicely in the driveway, undriven and uninsured. If I had my full drivers liscence I'd be able to get in that car, insure it, and drive to the stores all on my own and get things done without having to rely on public transportation and the strength of my own arms to carry everything home. Personally, I hate riding the bus with arms full of shopping bags, although I have done it before out of necessity.
This train of thought led me to thinking about my love of vintage motorcycles with sidecars. If I had this I would be ridiculously happy. Do you see that shade of blue?! L'amour! I'd probably be happier however, if I could find a more modern electric bike strong enough to power with a sidecar. Or a Vespa moped. You know, it doesn't necessarily have to have a sidecar, but the sidecar really adds something to the vehicle. Like a passenger.
This is something I have always invisioned for myself. Riding around on a funny looking bike or moped, sidecar and all, with a long flowing scarf and a bomber jacket with awesome aviator goggles. Because for some reason in my mind, vintage motorcycles and retro aviation style go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other.
I thought to myself even just a regular ol' bicycle would probably not be a terrible idea to get myself around town at this point. A moped with or without a sidecar is a great goal, but not necessarily the most realistic purchase right now. A bike is a good green alternative, and healthy. And bicycling is good for my weak knees. But I hate the look of bicycle helmets. And it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Even if I never get my moped, the only way to ever make me enjoy a bicycle helmet would be to have one that was literally a retro scooter helmet. And if I couldn't find one as amazing as this to purchase at a reasonable cost...
I could totally get some faux leather and a cheap simple helmet and make one my own damn self. The finishing touch would be the aviation goggles. I'd be the coolest kid on the block! Everyone would want to ride bikes with me!
This train of thought led me to thinking about my love of vintage motorcycles with sidecars. If I had this I would be ridiculously happy. Do you see that shade of blue?! L'amour! I'd probably be happier however, if I could find a more modern electric bike strong enough to power with a sidecar. Or a Vespa moped. You know, it doesn't necessarily have to have a sidecar, but the sidecar really adds something to the vehicle. Like a passenger.I thought to myself even just a regular ol' bicycle would probably not be a terrible idea to get myself around town at this point. A moped with or without a sidecar is a great goal, but not necessarily the most realistic purchase right now. A bike is a good green alternative, and healthy. And bicycling is good for my weak knees. But I hate the look of bicycle helmets. And it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. Even if I never get my moped, the only way to ever make me enjoy a bicycle helmet would be to have one that was literally a retro scooter helmet. And if I couldn't find one as amazing as this to purchase at a reasonable cost...
I could totally get some faux leather and a cheap simple helmet and make one my own damn self. The finishing touch would be the aviation goggles. I'd be the coolest kid on the block! Everyone would want to ride bikes with me!
Monday, 4 April 2011
Feeling Crotchety as a I Crochet
Last night I was trying to get to sleep. Something most people do at night, although some people sleep in the day because they are actually vampires. Anyway, as I was nestling for a long nights nap I turned my head in just the wrong way so as to pinch a nerve in my neck. It didn't hurt too badly, but I couldn't turn my head or lay on my side, my usual way of sleeping. So I guess I fell asleep on my back staring at the ceiling. When I woke up this morning, the pain was gone but I felt as though I hadn't slept very well at all. I had wanted to get up with Mr. C to see him off on another manic Monday, make him some coffee or breakfast and just try and be pleasant but no, waking up was too difficult and he had already been gone for over an hour by the time I rolled out of bed.
Had to make a phone call to some guy at EI who called me on Friday. Left a message with him, and sat down in front of the trusty PC to figure out what to do next. I don't want to leave my house at all until I hear back from EI. Honestly I'm worried he's going to tell me for some bizarre reason I don't qualify and that makes me nervous enough, so I figured I may as well look up some crochet jewelry to get some inspiration for project ideas.
And thats about when I pinched my neck again. The other side from last night, and I think it might have been from the awkward position in which I was sitting for hours yesterday to work out some patterns for crochet jewelry sets due to the terrible lighting in my living room, or the fact that when I wasn't working on my project yesterday I was sitting awkwardly (aside: isn't awkward such an awkardly spelled word?) in front of the computer playing The Sims 3. I popped an Advil for the swelling in the muscle in my shoulder, they are sitting quite crookedly right now, the shoulders I mean. And am forcing myself to write this even though it is mostly uncomfortable to do so.
Other things that are going through my mind... I am sad to have helped my neighbours moved because now they aren't my neighbours anymore. I don't want new people living next to me, for the past 2 years I've had two of my best friends living next door and its made me spoiled. And according to Google Maps (which is a liar by the way) it takes 46 minutes to hoof it to there place from mine. I know it would take less time than that if I took the back roads and walked along the river, but thats not the point!
On Sunday Mr. C took me to Wal-Mart to raid for supplies for projects and I was really surprised to see they were cutting back their craft department to the bare bones minimum. They had some quilting and knitting supplies, but no crochet thread and virtually nothing by way of beading supplies, which is what I was actually looking for. I had hoped by going to Wal-Mart I might be able to find a sewing pattern too but no, all the patterns were gone already. So, because I was feeling impatient to get started on some jewelry, I sucked it up and went to Michaels. I know I over paid for what I got, but Mr. C hates shopping and having gone to the back of Wal-Mart to find nothing during the Sunday Shopper crowd left him rather grumpy. I had really wanted to go to Fabricland as well, but Mr. C is stressing the lack of funds coming in with me not working and Fabricland has moved all the way to the other end of town and there is absolutely nothing interesting for him to distract himself with while I shop for fabric.
I did buy a nice big bucket of beads, seed beads and some glass beads that I'm not actually a huge fan of but I can work with them. It came with a bit of wire, a crimper tool, and pretty much everything I'd need for a few simple projects. Well, except clasps and earing hooks and straight pins. But I got it more to go with the crochet jewelry I want to make. I decided to purchase some size 10 black crochet thread, because all I have here is some bernat satin yarn not at all suitable for what I intend to make. I started off coming up with some simple concepts for rings, and I'll be carrying those patterns into the matching bracelets and necklaces and I have some cute ideas for earings too. I was inspired by the Victorian Gothic look, although I know real Victorian lace is tatted, I don't yet know how to do needling tatting. Although I know I could learn. Irish lace was a form of crochet lace made popular in the 1800's and it was known a form of macrame/crochet lace was around durring the renaissance. And besides, this isn't an historical project for once and Irish crochet lace should do for what I'm thinking for now. If not, I guess I'm just going to have to teach myself to tat.
In my search online for some cool pattern ideas for the crochet jewelry, I found some really intricate and interesting wire crochet that I'm going to have to try that integrates crochet and beadwork. I really want to try this to make silver snow flake earings, and maybe some cool copper stars. I also found this really cool blog with some needle tatting tutorials. Also, she may have cloned my cats...
Had to make a phone call to some guy at EI who called me on Friday. Left a message with him, and sat down in front of the trusty PC to figure out what to do next. I don't want to leave my house at all until I hear back from EI. Honestly I'm worried he's going to tell me for some bizarre reason I don't qualify and that makes me nervous enough, so I figured I may as well look up some crochet jewelry to get some inspiration for project ideas.
And thats about when I pinched my neck again. The other side from last night, and I think it might have been from the awkward position in which I was sitting for hours yesterday to work out some patterns for crochet jewelry sets due to the terrible lighting in my living room, or the fact that when I wasn't working on my project yesterday I was sitting awkwardly (aside: isn't awkward such an awkardly spelled word?) in front of the computer playing The Sims 3. I popped an Advil for the swelling in the muscle in my shoulder, they are sitting quite crookedly right now, the shoulders I mean. And am forcing myself to write this even though it is mostly uncomfortable to do so.
Other things that are going through my mind... I am sad to have helped my neighbours moved because now they aren't my neighbours anymore. I don't want new people living next to me, for the past 2 years I've had two of my best friends living next door and its made me spoiled. And according to Google Maps (which is a liar by the way) it takes 46 minutes to hoof it to there place from mine. I know it would take less time than that if I took the back roads and walked along the river, but thats not the point!
On Sunday Mr. C took me to Wal-Mart to raid for supplies for projects and I was really surprised to see they were cutting back their craft department to the bare bones minimum. They had some quilting and knitting supplies, but no crochet thread and virtually nothing by way of beading supplies, which is what I was actually looking for. I had hoped by going to Wal-Mart I might be able to find a sewing pattern too but no, all the patterns were gone already. So, because I was feeling impatient to get started on some jewelry, I sucked it up and went to Michaels. I know I over paid for what I got, but Mr. C hates shopping and having gone to the back of Wal-Mart to find nothing during the Sunday Shopper crowd left him rather grumpy. I had really wanted to go to Fabricland as well, but Mr. C is stressing the lack of funds coming in with me not working and Fabricland has moved all the way to the other end of town and there is absolutely nothing interesting for him to distract himself with while I shop for fabric.
I did buy a nice big bucket of beads, seed beads and some glass beads that I'm not actually a huge fan of but I can work with them. It came with a bit of wire, a crimper tool, and pretty much everything I'd need for a few simple projects. Well, except clasps and earing hooks and straight pins. But I got it more to go with the crochet jewelry I want to make. I decided to purchase some size 10 black crochet thread, because all I have here is some bernat satin yarn not at all suitable for what I intend to make. I started off coming up with some simple concepts for rings, and I'll be carrying those patterns into the matching bracelets and necklaces and I have some cute ideas for earings too. I was inspired by the Victorian Gothic look, although I know real Victorian lace is tatted, I don't yet know how to do needling tatting. Although I know I could learn. Irish lace was a form of crochet lace made popular in the 1800's and it was known a form of macrame/crochet lace was around durring the renaissance. And besides, this isn't an historical project for once and Irish crochet lace should do for what I'm thinking for now. If not, I guess I'm just going to have to teach myself to tat.
In my search online for some cool pattern ideas for the crochet jewelry, I found some really intricate and interesting wire crochet that I'm going to have to try that integrates crochet and beadwork. I really want to try this to make silver snow flake earings, and maybe some cool copper stars. I also found this really cool blog with some needle tatting tutorials. Also, she may have cloned my cats...
Friday, 1 April 2011
I don't want to be an April Fish!
I have never really liked April Fool's day. I've always been terribly naive, and find that silly pranks intended to be fun and harmless wallop me and invariably make me angry. I'm not a good recipient of a practical joke. I have also never quite been able to wrap my head around playing practical jokes on others. In the past I've joined in on some good ones that other people have come up with, and occassionaly have come up with a prank or two that has nothing to do with April Fools and usually is pulled quite seperately from this strange day. I've always tried to keep from doing anything overly annoying, and usually my pranks are more like, covering someones office in pictures and such. Nothing really damaging, and nothing that takes too long to clean up.
I decided to look up some history on this "holiday" to satiate my mind and what did I find? No one seems to know exactly how the prank-pulling all began. Many people speculate it was because of the Gregorian calendar being introduced in the 16th century, moving new years from a week long celebration ending on April 1 to a single day, January 1. In France they say many people still celebrated the April 1st day because news of such a change took approximately 7 years to travel around. Those who celebrated January 1 mocked the April 1sters and called them poisson d’avril, April Fish, because they were easily hooked, like the young fish of the season, into pranks for fake parties, fools errands, and the like. Eventually they just sneakily pinned paper fish to peoples backs. Kind of like a 16th century kick me sign. There are references to pranks pulled before then, so although the French seemed to make a good excuse for it, it had been going on a lot longer than that.
Of course April Fools was picked up world wide because everyone likes a good prank. Unless you're the one having the prank pulled on you. They say the Scots actually invented the kick me sign, and usually their jokes historically involved mooning and butts. Thus you've become the butt of a joke. The English came up with the idea that it's bad luck to prank after noon. I like the Roman version of the holiday the best, once known as the Festival of Hilaria, it was all about just laughing. So comedic plays would be performed and a few pranks would be pulled in the name of the resurrected god Attis. Although this was actually celebrated on March 25.
Mr. C told me this morning before he left for work his boss was trying to come up with good pranks yesterday to pull this morning and he had a suspicion he was going to wind up the butt of it. Now I'm wondering if he's been made into an April Fish.
I decided to look up some history on this "holiday" to satiate my mind and what did I find? No one seems to know exactly how the prank-pulling all began. Many people speculate it was because of the Gregorian calendar being introduced in the 16th century, moving new years from a week long celebration ending on April 1 to a single day, January 1. In France they say many people still celebrated the April 1st day because news of such a change took approximately 7 years to travel around. Those who celebrated January 1 mocked the April 1sters and called them poisson d’avril, April Fish, because they were easily hooked, like the young fish of the season, into pranks for fake parties, fools errands, and the like. Eventually they just sneakily pinned paper fish to peoples backs. Kind of like a 16th century kick me sign. There are references to pranks pulled before then, so although the French seemed to make a good excuse for it, it had been going on a lot longer than that.
Of course April Fools was picked up world wide because everyone likes a good prank. Unless you're the one having the prank pulled on you. They say the Scots actually invented the kick me sign, and usually their jokes historically involved mooning and butts. Thus you've become the butt of a joke. The English came up with the idea that it's bad luck to prank after noon. I like the Roman version of the holiday the best, once known as the Festival of Hilaria, it was all about just laughing. So comedic plays would be performed and a few pranks would be pulled in the name of the resurrected god Attis. Although this was actually celebrated on March 25.
Mr. C told me this morning before he left for work his boss was trying to come up with good pranks yesterday to pull this morning and he had a suspicion he was going to wind up the butt of it. Now I'm wondering if he's been made into an April Fish.
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