The Happy Cactus

Pandora is Omniscient

2009-12-15T09:36:00.003-06:00

As we all know by now, I'm a complete zombie in the morning. I need a cigarette, coffee, a shower, and music (in that order) to even be close to human. I used to listen to the news while I got ready in the mornings, but my local NPR station no longer streams their programing over the internet, so I have switched to Pandora for my morning entertainment.

I have a few (like 20) stations set up, but my favorite for my morning routine is my "Rocket Man" station. Its not too loud or fast and I know all the words to almost every song.

This morning I think Pandora was trying to tell me something. All of the songs it played while I was getting ready were about living your life the way you want. It was odd but it got me thinking - am I living my life the way I want to? Yes and no.

My personal life - yes. I'm happy. I've achieved a sense of independence that I never had before; I have a wonderful boyfriend and 2 great dogs (well, most of the time), a cute (rental) house, time to do what I want, financial stability, and significantly less stress than I've known in years. Professionally, I'm not where I want to be; and while I'm financially stable, I would love to be able to save more (and spend more).

But compared to year ago, Yes, I am living the life I want. I think its a rare person who is completely happy with their life. There is always room for improvement.

The songs that played this morning, if you're curious were:
-Hey Jude, The Beatles
- The most perfect song for this topic, and I cannot remember what it was - as soon as it comes to me I'll post it
- Cats in the Cradle, Harry Chaplin
- My Life, Billy Joel

Bits n' Bobbles

2009-12-11T13:30:00.002-06:00

So, as usual, there are 43,000 things running around in my head and I want to talk about all of them . . .

+ My "Craziest Thing of the Year" Award goes to an incident yesterday. I've mentioned before that I was engaged before I was with Mark (here's a synopsis of that relationship.) Obviously he and I did not keep in touch, but we do still have one somewhat mutual friend. Through her I learned that J had married and they had a kid. I had always hoped that he had grown out his asshole phase and was good husband and father. Then I read this yesterday. I called Ashley to find out who the mysterious K is, and low and behold K is J's soon to be ex-wife. So, after I collected my jaw from the floor, I proceeded to do what any modern 20 something does - I Face Book stalked her. Unfortunately she's smarter than me and has her profile set to private, so I sent her a message. She's super sweet (and sane) and with any luck we'll get to meet soon.

+ I want to participate in this . . . but first I need a functioning Polaroid camera . . .

+ I'm a graphic design whore. We've talked about this before and I know I'm not alone when I say that I've bought things just because they have good graphic design either on them or the packaging. I NEED the "Tap Water is Terrific" one. NEED. As in my soul will die if I don't get one soon. In reality, I'll just wait and order one when I get paid next week . . .

+ I'm starting to become obsessed with photo booths. You know, the ones where you cramp in with multiple people and make silly faces at the camera and then stand outside and wait for a sheet with 4 small pictures of you and your friends looking your finest. The movie theatre that I frequent has one and I've been dying to drag P (or anyone else that I'm with) into it. My plan is to get a strip of pictures with each of my friends. What I'm gonna do with them is yet to be determined . . . probably frame 'em and hang 'em on my wall.

+ I want to make an "Adventure Book" like the girl made in Up. . .

Roles

2009-12-09T09:23:00.002-06:00

My day-job requires for us to take "wellness" class for personal betterment. They offer a wide variety of class here. So I signed up for "Time Management," thinking that I can always use some help in this area. I had the class yesterday; it last about 7 hours and was more a class on managing your "home" life and your "work" life. It was interesting. We spent a whole hour or so on why sleep is important to our well-being.

The one section that really got me was on the different roles that we have. Things like being the "provider", "protector", or "caregiver" along with being someone's "child", "parent", or "lover." We had to make a list of the 5 roles we have that are most important to us, list things that we are most proud of accomplishing in each role, and then share the one we were most proud of with the class.

One of my roles was "provider," because I have been the primary provider in my household, until just recently. One of my big accomplishments for this year was being financially independent. As I've mentioned before, I had never lived on my own for more than a couple of months before I separated from my ex-husband, much less been financially independent. While my family did help me out when I first moved out (with things like couches and rugs and a little cash), I have been supporting myself and Matthias since we moved out.

Before Mark and I married, I had a problem with living within my budget, so being able to successfully manage my money and stay within my means was a HUGE accomplishment for me. Along with learning that I didn't have to be financially dependent on someone, I also learned that I didn't have to be emotionally dependent on someone. And that was also a HUGE lesson. Once I understood that, my whole world changed. I was able to get past my depression and start down the path to living the life that I had always wanted to live.

And now, I'm ready to share the role of "provider" again.

Housemates

2009-12-07T13:53:00.002-06:00

So, I took a little break from blogging. NaBloPoMo really kicked my butt and the week off was well appreciated.

In the past week, not much has happened. I've watched a lot of movies as I desperately try to knit a bunch of Christmas presents. So. Sick. Of. Knitting. But I can't stop, I'm too broke and uncreative this year to go and buy people things. Oh well.

Also, P officially moved in. By "officially" I mean that he's moved the majority of his possessions into my house. He's been "unofficially" living with me for a month or so. I've been thinking a lot about the state of my life and I have to say that I'm ok with everything. I know some people may have an issue with the fact that I started dating P before I was officially divorced, we had already filed papers, so mine and Mark's marriage had ended.

I've also been asked if I'm ready to live with someone again. I really think I am. I've surprised myself at how quickly I've gotten over my divorce. I don't know if its a defense mechanism or what, but I can honestly say that I can look at my ex husband and feel nothing, not even anger. And while I've been pushing to end all communication with him (except things that are work related, because we do still work together), there are still times when we communicate. When this happens, I find myself more annoyed than anything and try to end the conversation as quickly as possible. When the conversation doesn't end, that's when I typically get angry. I'm not happy about having such a short temper with him; so I'm working on it. But nonetheless, it feels like our marriage was a million years ago and that is a nice feeling.

P and I have been dating for around 7 months and I've noticed a few behaviors that I do that are just flat out quirky. The big one in my mind is that I refuse to fart in front of him. That's right, in 7 months I believe I have only farted once in front of him. I duck in the bathroom or take the dogs outside or randomly check the mail, anything, just so I'm not in front of him. Its ridiculous but true. I also don't . . . ummm . . . "go #2" when he's home*. My bathroom comes straight off my living room and I'm terrified that you can hear everything that transpires in the bathroom from the couch. So, out of fear, I wait until he goes to work. I can foresee this being an issue now that he lives with me and does have days off . . .

What odd things do you do around your partner?

*I apologize if that's TMI but I had to get that off my chest.

Finish Line!!!

2009-11-30T14:58:00.002-06:00

It's finally arrived - Day 30 of NaBloPoMo. I'm so happy!! While it was a wonderful exercise, it was a bit taxing. I don't like the feeling of posting just to post - I like posting because I have something to say. Its much more rewarding to me. That being said, I do plan on continuing to post regularly - just not everyday.

One of the things I'm going to work on during the month of December is not censoring myself so much. I know I censor a lot of what is going on in my head - not because I think y'all will be offended by it, but because of some of the people that I know that read my blog. I really don't like the feeling of being spied upon. And its just rude - you can't/won't speak to me in real life, but yet you read my blog religiously?! What the hell?! (*obviously this doesn't apply to a lot of people, but the ones it does apply to know it applies to them)

So, on this last day of NaBloPoMo, I'm asking for all you lurkers, new readers, infrequent commenters, frequent commenters, everyone, to please leave me a comment and introduce yourself!! I'd love to meet you!

Crap!

2009-11-30T10:09:00.002-06:00

So, I forgot to post yesterday. 2 days left and I forgot to post. I don't have a good excuse - I did next to nothing yesterday - just laid around with the dogs and did some laundry.

Wednesday, while I was sitting at work waiting for 5 o'clock, I thought about all the stuff I was going to get done during my time off. I was going walk Matthias, knit at least 2 pairs of gloves, work on some other random Christmas presents, make and post new things to my etsy shop, . . . all this stuff. I was excited about how much I was going to accomplish.

You want to know what I actually accomplished? I finished one pair of gloves and one sewing project. That's it. Though, I did watch a crap-load of movies and had some wonderful cuddle time with the dogs. Even if my break wasn't as productive as I'd have liked to have been, it was still good. I needed to relax and have some "me" time.

I do plan on getting some of my Thanksgiving break list completed this week. I want to finish another pair of gloves (that I started last night) and get some of my sewing projects finished and posted on etsy and to start my mother's Christmas present (more on that later).

So here's to hoping that I'll have a productive week!

*And look for another post today, to finish out NaBloPoMo!

This is Getting Difficult

2009-11-28T18:28:00.002-06:00

This whole NaBloPoMo is a lot harder than I had initially thought it to be. I know I had problems last year coming up with something to blog about, but I don't remember it being as difficult this year.

Nonetheless, I've basically spent the last 3 days laying on my couch with my dogs, watching movies, and knitting. While its been absolutely wonderful, its not exactly the most exciting thing to blog about. So here's a few random updates:

+ I just have to knit the thumbs on a pair of gloves and I'll have one Christmas present completed!!

+ I finally found plain vitamin C today!! If all goes as planned, I'll develop a roll of film tomorrow.

+ The fabulous Heather and her husband person (a a few other friends) are going to see The Fantastic Mr.Fox tonight. Very excited.

+ I had my first viewing of Muppet's Christmas Carol of the season last night. Its my favorite Christmas movie of all times. I still cry when I see Tiny Tim and know all the words to all the songs.

Hope everyone's having a lovely Thanksgiving Break!!

Buy (Almost) Nothing Day

2009-11-27T11:55:00.002-06:00

Today is Black Friday, a day feared by all in the service industry. I managed a junior's clothing store for 2 years and always hated Black Friday. Aside from the fact that it was crazy busy, it also ruined my Thanksgiving and Christmas spirit. To me, the opening shift was the best because my shift would be over by mid-afternoon and I was free to go home and hide.

Since I'm no longer working retail, I consciously object to shopping on this day. I ideally I wouldn't buy anything today, but I need groceries, so I will be venturing out into the madness. I'm hoping that everyone has tons of leftovers from yesterday and therefor the grocery store will be dead. Hoping.

As part of my objection to holiday shopping frenzy, I also refuse to go to stores during "extended hours." I find it to be completely pointless for the malls to be open one hour earlier and later. Honestly, nobody shops during those hours. The mall was always dead during the "extended" hours when I worked there. I think its really sad that service workers are treated like second-class people. Its like they don't have families or would ever want to enjoy the holidays. To me, its really sad that corporate greed eclipses the entire the idea of the season.

As I step off my soap box, please consider this, when you go shopping, please please be kind to workers. They have enough to deal with and one nice customer really does make a big difference.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T12:15:00.002-06:00

This is the first Thanksgiving that I've ever had where I only have one family to visit. I have to say, while its relaxing and kinda nice; its also really really weird.

In honor of Thanksgiving, here's Things I'm Thankful For - Part 2 - My Friends and Family. I can never really thank them enough for all they've done for me. They've been there for me so much over the past year and I am forever indebted to them. I've come to realize that no matter how strong, smart, fun, creative, or "together" you think you are - you are only a fraction of it without your support group. I've also learned that just because you only know someone on the internet - they can still be "real" friends. Y'all have been wonderfully supportive and I thank you for it. Maybe one day when I win the lottery, I'll take a road trip to meet all of you. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't forget to hug everyone's neck!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!!

2009-11-25T09:18:00.003-06:00

The fabulous Stevie tagged me for an award yesterday. Thank you so much!! My day is always brightened when I see she has a new post. So, you should defiantely go check it out. You'll be in love too, I promise.

The rules are:
+ List 10 things that make you happy.
+ Try and do at least one of them today.
+ Tag 10 bloggers that brighten you day.
+ Link back to the person that tagged you.

Simple enough right?!

1. Having 4 days off in a row.
2. Having nothing to do on those 4 days except hang out with friends and family.
3. Puppy kisses - can one ever have enough?!
4. Painting my fingernails.
5. Scarves - they make me feel fancy
6. Coffee - it makes me feel human.
7. Getting lost in a good book - I need to do this, its been so long . . .
8. Pretty underwear - yet again, it makes me feel fancy
9. Watching TV with P and using him as my pillow - for being so skinny he sure is comfortable!
10. Sleeping late - even if its only an hour.

Now to tag:

1. Heather
2. Ari
3. Jodi
4. Kelly Jean
5. Lauren
6. Amy
7. Sassy Soles
8. Mae
9. Jennfunique
10. Wishcake

Things I'm Thankful For - Part 1

2009-11-24T16:21:00.003-06:00

With Thanksgiving approaching, I felt the need to make a list of things that I'm thankful for.

Today's topic: Creature Comforts

* my over sized men's sweatpants *

* coffee (in any and all forms - its my life blood) *

* NetFlix (the fact that I always have a movie at my house to watch brings me so much joy) *

* Burt's Bees lip products *

* my bed *

* mac and cheese *

* hot foot soaks after work (I will be doing this today) *

* October sunsets *

* the smell of freshly developed pictures (its an acquired smell) *

* the warmth of 2 dogs laying on you (and behaving) *

* my Grandmother's cooking (no matter how experimental she gets) *

* puppy kisses (they're medicine for even the worst moods) *

What are you thankful for?

My List

2008-12-29T14:50:00.018-06:00

So, I've decided to take this whole New Year's Resolution thing to the next level. I'm going to do 101 Things in 1001 Days. So here's my list:

1. go on a vacation by myself - if nothing else but for a weekend.
2. go to a movie by myself.
3. eat an entire meal from my garden.
4. eliminate paper towel usage in my house.
5. learn another language
6. read 3 books in a month
7. enter 3 art shows.
8. sew 5 articles of clothing for myself
9. not cuss for 48hrs.
10. organize my magazines
11. collect 10 signatures of famous people I admire
12. help 4 homeless people
13. walk Matthias 7 days in a row.
14. fill my sketch book
15. paint one painting
16. wear a skirt once a week for a month
17. teach Matthias to stay
18. develop 10 rolls of film myself
19. find a little black dress and shoes
20. go to a play
21. get a tattoo
22. visit 2 states that I've never been to before
23. take a day trip just to take photos
24. work at the soup kitchen 4 times
25. buy one piece of local art
26. go to the symphony
27. go camping for a weekend
28. try 7 new foods (fresh water eel)
29. make a quilt
30. write a short story
31. order something off of the tv
32. write in my journal everyday for a month
33. give all of my brothers a birthday present - on their actual birthdays
34. participate in "tea time" everyday for a 5 days
35. wear a hat out in public 10 times
36. go to the beach
37. donate to 3 charities
38. compliment 10 random people
39. use my reusable shopping bags every time I go to the store for 2 months
40. make homemade dog biscuits
41. knit a sweater
42. finish my taxes (and mail them in) in February
43. adopt an angel at Christmas
44. build a piece of furniture
45. knit a pair of socks
46. organize all of my photos
47. build a terrarium
48. take a yoga class
49. go skiing
50. watch all the curling games that are aired during the Vancouver Olympics
51. buy myself flowers 2 times
52. save $2000 in 6 months
53. visit the Jack Daniel's Distillery
54. complete a Sudoku book
55. complete 15 crossword puzzles
56. dye my hair (at least highlights)
57. have 6 "me" nights (i.e. pedi, mani, and a movie)
58. renew my passport
59. have a girl's night with liz once a month
60. watch 4 Oscar nominated movies
61. read the Pulitzer Prize winning novel for this year
62. take a road trip to go to a concert (Flight of the Conchords)
63. clean out my closet
64. donate the old clothes
65. clean and organize my studio
66. organize my things
67. read 100 books in 1001 days
68. not say anything negative for 24hrs.
69. go on 4 "dates" with my dad
70. take my step mom shopping
71. have lunch with my mom once a month
72. visit my grandparents twice a month
73. find a red wine I like
74. go to Texas and visit Bobby
75. sleep in a hammock
76. attend 4 free lectures
77. eat vegetarian one day a week for 6 months
78. sell 25 items out of my etsy shop
79. design 4 fabric patterns
80. print and sell the fabric
81. try block printing
82. dye an item of clothing
83. finish all of my clothing "repair" projects
84. actually post a photo a day on my photo blog
85. go to a music festival that's not in Huntsville
86. grow a cactus from a seed
87. grow some lithops from seed
88. buy and wear one article of clothing that's not typically "me"
89. exercise 30 minutes a day for 2 months
90. take a photo of each of my friends
91. buy stock in something
92. so something spontaneous
93. go to Savannah for a weekend
94. make a time capsule with my husband for our children to open
95. go to 5 art show openings that Mark is not in (April's 3/13)
96. get a bike
97. visit museums at least 6 times
98. design a book cover
99. decorate the outside of my house for Christmas
100. send 3 secrets to Post Secret
101. leave a ridiculous tip for excellent service

So there you go, my 101 things to do. I'll keep you posted on the progress. I have until September 29, 2011 to complete this list - I think I can do it. Items in italics are in progress, and ones in bold are completed.

*Items in purple were modified on 11/23/09.

The List - Updated

2009-11-23T10:44:00.002-06:00

I've been working on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list since January. Here's the list. Since the list was written pre-separation/divorce, there are a number of things on there that include Mark. I've decided that now's the time to revise the list. So, here we go:

23 - was "go to Europe with Mark." Obviously this is not going to happen, nor do I think I'll have enough money to go to Europe by next September. So, its going to be "Take a day trip just to take photos."

30. - was "create a business plan." This was something for Mark - we had big dreams of starting our own business - and while its still something I want to do, I don't see it being feasible in near future. So, it's going to be "write a short story."

50. - was "go to the Olympics in Vancouver." Yet again, this is something Mark and I wanted to do. I would still love to go, but unfortunately I'm way to broke to even attempt this (and I think all the tickets are sold out). So, it's going to be "watch all the curling games that are aired during the Vancouver Olympics"

57. - was "take Mark on 6 dates." Pretty self-explanatory why this one isn't going to happen. Instead it's going to be "have 6 "me" nights (i.e. pedi, mani, and a movie)" They're like taking myself on a date.

59. - was "come home from girl's night at a reasonable hour." I really don't have "girl's nights" like that anymore. So, its going to be "have a girl's night with liz once a month."

65. - was "clean out Mark's studio." Now, its going to be "clean and organize my studio."

76. - was "attend 4 Civic Association meetings," since I'm no longer a part of that neighborhood, I can't really do that. So, its going to be "attend 4 free lectures."

96. - was "get a new inner tube for my bike." The bike originally belonged to Mark's grandmother, so naturally he kept it after the divorce. Now, its "get a bike." I live in a neighborhood where I could bike to the grocery store and restaurants, so I should definitely take advantage of that.

97. - was "visit Alaska." This was always Mark's dream vacation - not so much mine. I would love to see it, but its not the first place on my list - its just too cold there! Instead, its going to be "visit museums at least 6 times." That's much more my speed (and within my budget).

So, there we go. I got a lot to accomplish in the next 10 months!

Another Quickie Post

2009-11-22T21:22:00.001-06:00

Procrastination?

2009-11-21T17:19:00.002-06:00

So, my weekly list doesn't look like its going to get completed. Partly because of the paper. And partly because of the above picture. The dogs have discovered not only the joy of tug of war but also of wrestling. More often than not I'm at the bottom of the "dog pile."

*Sigh* Just another perk of being me.

Uninspired

2009-11-20T17:35:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about my professional future. This is probably steming from the large amount of discontent I've been feeling with both jobs. My day job doesn't have enough graphics work to keep me busy, so I've turned into the department secretary - which is not something I enjoy - and the paper is just stressful. Incredibly stressful.

Nonetheless, I've been contemplating things. While I have a deep love of design and all things aesthetically pleasing, I don't know if I have a passion for it. Or more specifically, I know I'm not competitive and thereby makes me question my passion. Shouldn't I want to be the best?! To produce pieces of graphic design that will make your jaw drop?! I do but at the same time I don't.

Maybe my problem is that I've always had jobs that I've felt under appreciated at and have become uninspired. I always tell people that "anyone with a computer and Microsoft office thinks that they're a graphic designer." And its true. Technically, they can make their own ad, logo, or whathaveyou, but it doesn't make it good design. And it doesn't mean that they care about good design. Which is a lot of my frustration. People just don't get it. I recently found this site, and it illustrates what I'm talking about.

I know the solution to my problem is to find a job that appreciates me and my ideas, but how am I supposed to be able to put together a portfolio that would get me that type of job if I'm burnt out? Its a catch 22. I can't even muster up the motivation to do my own business cards, much less an entire portfolio.

Maybe the Thanksgiving break will help.

Crap!

2009-11-20T11:55:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned on Monday, this is my week to work two jobs. So yesterday, I left my "day job" promptly at 5, ran by Target to get dog food and supper for me, and headed home. Once I got home, I let out my two overly excited beasts, and sat down on the porch to call my mom and enjoy a post work cigarette. The beasts and I carried on with our normal nightly routine - dinner at 6 and then couch time until 9 ish while "Mommy" works on the paper. P came home around 10 and we watched the latest episode of Top Chef that I recorded (Yay! Kevin! He's my favorite) and a little bit of a movie and then I went to bed.

You know what I forgot to do?! Blog. I remember right before I drifted off to dreamland. So, this is my "make-up" post. I promise I won't forget again!

Scurvy

2009-11-18T13:24:00.002-06:00

For about 2 months now, I've been trying to find plain powdered (or crystallized) Vitamin C. I have yet to check GNC and one more health food store, but so far its been impossible to find. Everything is flavored!

Why do I need unflavored you ask?

Because I'm going to try to develop a roll or two of black and white film. In my bathroom. I saw this tutorial a few months ago and have been itching to try it ever since. I love the pictures that I've seen in the Flickr pool dedicated to Caffenol developing. I've taken 2 rolls of film - one with Old Faithful (a Cannon that I bought for photo class in college with a Macro lens) and one with the cheap point-and-click that I assembled from Urban Outfitters.

I do know that "they" make a biodegradable developer, but its probably more expensive than Vitamin C. So, this weekend when I head over to the Money Vortex (aka Target) to buy a Christmas tree and lights, I'll also run down to GNC and see if they have what I need. If not, then its off to the photo supply store for me. Ideally, I want to develop the film during my long Thanksgiving weekend (since I won't be out shopping - but that's another post). I've decided that enough is enough - the anticipation of how the pictures will turn out is killing.

I know another option is for me to actually go to the darkroom at the library, but to be quite honest, I hate going in darkrooms alone. With any luck, I'll be able to recruit one of my loving friends to come and sit with me when I go to print these pictures . . . hint, hint, Heather. If not, then my iPod and I will brave the dark, scary room.

If anyone knows of anyplace that definately sells plain Vitamin C, please, please let me know!

Indecisive Much?!

2009-11-17T10:53:00.003-06:00

As most of you know, I have a day job at a telecommunications company and my "night" job at the Valley Planet. My day job reminds me of Office Space, except without all the interesting co-workers. Well, kinda. My co-workers are interesting in a boring kinda way - they have their quirks but nothing crazy ever happens around here. Nobody ever goes postal on the copy machine or A-wall on the coffee pot. We just all walk around with our cups of coffee yapping about the weather and Mustangs.

The one somewhat entertaining part of my job is seeing what websites have been blocked by Big Brother. Some days I can read the news, others I can't. Some days I can go to Blogspot blogs (including my own); other days I can't; and other days I can go and read but not comment. I can never get to Google Images (which is a huge pain considering I'm a graphic designer and use it for reference material a lot). I cannot listen to WNYC radio or Pandora (my new favorite thing). Its fun.

Today was especially entertaining. I got to work and began reading blogs while I ate my breakfast. I went to comment (and test) on a blogspot blog and found out that it worked! I was so excited, so I opened up my own blog - and could see it!! Score!! I signed in and set out to type a post. By the time I had finished typing the post, Big Brother had caught up to me and wouldn't allow me either save or post the wonderful piece of literature that I had slaved over. I opened my blog in another window, and low and behold, it was blocked.

While I realize that I probably shouldn't be reading blogs at work, I was eating breakfast. It takes me 20 minutes or so to eat. I read work emails and a few blogs and by the time I'm finished eating, I'm ready to begin my work day. I work diligently until lunch, when I take a little time to read the news after I return and then I'm back to work. That's it. Just a little distraction to make my work day just a little more pleasurable.

So, thank you Big Brother, for taking away my little bit of joy during a fairly monotonous day. Please make up your mind and either block the stuff I like to read or don't. Just please, quit teasing me.

I Will . . . Part 2

2009-11-16T22:21:00.002-06:00

Last week's lis t helped keep me motivated and get some of my projects finished. So, I'm going to try it again. Since this is my Valley Planet week, I'm going to make my list shorter this week. This week I will . . .

+Finish the pair of gloves I started last week.

+ Sew 3 of the projects sitting on my sewing table.

And that's it.

Finished!!!!

2009-11-15T17:29:00.005-06:00

At long last, here is are the bedside tables. This is what they looked before. They were originally owned by my ex-husband's grandparents. He gave them to me when I moved out. I've always loved them, but they were too dark for my bedroom. So, sometime in August, I decided that it was time to tackle the project of re-doing them.

Here they are after:

I took the design that's on the drawers and painted it on the side, to give them a little more interest. While there are some mistakes with them, I'm quite happy with how they turned out.

I picked up another small table off the side of the road a few days ago, so that's my next refinishing project. It may have to wait until after Christmas though. But we'll see.

Another Cop-out

2009-11-14T18:47:00.002-06:00

Because I have nothing better to post today. Enjoy!

Progress

2009-11-13T18:19:00.003-06:00

So, I've been working diligently on the list I made Monday. So far, I've completed #3 (order yarn), #4 (fold my laundry), and #6 - complete a rough draft of the painting for my bedroom (above). Tonight I plan on coating the bedside tables with polyurethane and starting a pair of gloves.

I'm overly ambitious, but I think I can do it. I have it all planned out. After I finish this post, I'll give the drawers to the bedside tables another coat of poly and set up the tables to be coated, while I wait on the pasta for my mac 'n cheese to cook. Then I'll take a dinner break and put on American Psycho. After dinner and during the rest of the movie, I'll work on the tables. Between coats, I'll knit. Sounds like a solid plan to me.

Yeah . . . I'll let you know how it goes.

Team Work

2009-11-12T20:20:00.003-06:00

So things have finally calmed down here at Casa de la Ari. Chaka Khan and Matthias have finally gotten used to each and are co-existing nicely.

Well . . . for the most part. They've also figured out rough house. She's learned to stand on her hind legs and attack his head. He's learned to stick his house under her stomach and launch her into the air. But the best trick they've learned is how to work as a team.

They patiently wait, Matthias on his chair; Chaka on her ottoman, for me to lay down on the couch. Then like furry ninjas they attack. Chaka proceeds to dig like a mad woman on my hair and head - barking, growling, and licking. Matthias then proceeds to grab my legs and pull in the opposite direction.

Yeah, my home life is awesome.

Unintentional Rant

2009-11-11T13:37:00.003-06:00

I, like most people my age, grew up with Sesame Street. It was awesome. I learned things; it was colorful and entertaining; and silly sayings were ingrained in my brain. I can't look at metal trash cans without thinking of Oscar or Chips-Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies without thinking of Cookie Monster (Chips-Ahoy because the packaging is the same color blue . . .).

I really don't think I'd be who I am today without the influence of Jim Henson, Mr. Rodgers, and Alice from Brady Bunch (it was on when Gumbo watched her "stories"). They helped mold and shape my twisted little imagination. Not only did these shows teach me the alphabet, numbers, and spacial concepts (insert Grover running towards the camera saying "Neeaaarrrr") but they also taught me that foods can talk, numbers can have eyes, and that Doodle-bugs do exist. From what little I've seen of newer shows like "Dora the Explorer," it seems like the creative/imagination aspect is left out. Sure the main characters travel all over and hang out with talking animals, but its just not the same.

But then again, I think the toys and activities that are marketed towards kids retard them. Everything "teaches" the kid something no matter how old they are (think "Baby Einstein") but they don't really teach the kid how to creatively solve a problem. What happened to Lincoln Logs, Erector sets, and Legos?! Have they been deemed too dangerous for kids to play with now, even though generations of kids played with them before now?! I grew up with these things and I was always at the top of my class.

But then again, Nintendo and home computers didn't come out until I was 10 (ish). Maybe that's the difference - we had to use our imaginations to entertain ourselves and these kids don't . . .