The Only Word is Yikes

So, I just realized today that I haven't done a serious workout since August. More than a month! Gah! My pants felt a wee bit tighter today, and we just can't have that. My corset from the weekend was a trifle snug as well and had to be a bit let out. We. Just. Can't. Have. That.

So, I put down the Gnomes and the other things I've been working on and got my bum on the elliptical. And I'll do it again tomorrow. And Friday. I'll be on my feet all day Saturday, and then I'll hop on that contraption again on Sunday. And so on.

I wonder if half of why I've been having a hard time sleeping lately is because I haven't been exercising. Really, I never feel so good in my own skin than when I keep the muscles under it moving. It relieves stress, too. Maybe not as much as making Gnomes, but I certainly have more than my fair share of stress to relieve.

I'd get up early in the morning to work out like I did when I lived at my parents' house, but I think my elliptical is getting old and it squeaks awfully. I don't want to disturb my roommates. I just need to schedule my work out time and keep to it. I know I can.

Butter

I don't have enough butter to make cookies.

One Thing to Say

all your base are belong to eek!


It's sort of a long story. Miss Luna won't let me tell it. She wants dinner.

Hats

The woman wears many hats. She is mother, friend, support, understanding, personal shopper, movie buddy. She is all of these and more. I just call her mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

No Rain

In the morning, that is, when they were calling for it. It suddenly changed to the afternoon. Oh, and it did rain in the afternoon like they eventually said it would. Meteorology is like divination in many respects.

I was talking about getting a nice pair of Catskill Mountain Moccasins by the end of the season. I ended up spending half the money for boots that are just as nice (even if they didn't make a casting of my feet) and didn't have to wait ten months to get them. They also seem to be less maintenance as I don't have to treat them for things like rain, and I spoke with more than a few people who said they haven't needed their boots resoled going on ten years. My new boots are decorative enough to go with even my faire gowns, and neutral enough to wear them with jeans in the winter. I think I made a good investment.

Some might call it shopping therapy.

I Got Nothing

Just nothing, today.

Wounds

Why do wounds itch when they're healing? The usual reaction is to scratch. But, that doesn't help in healing, that tears up the delicate tissue, opens wounds, and can introduce infective elements.

From an evolutionary perspective, what is the point of that itching sensation when wounds are healing? What purpose does it serve, except to drive us crazy and make the wound worse?

And, if you want to know, I'm talking about last week's burn. It's driving me crazy. If I didn't keep it bandaged, it would not look nearly as good as it does right now.

Ugh

I took the day off to spend it Gnoming. And then I got sick. At least I already had the day off and I still plan to spend it Gnoming.

Decisions Are Made

There are two things that I would like to own. First, I've decided to go ahead and get a Kindle. The system works with the audio files I found, many books are available that I initially figured were too obscure to be available in Kindle format, and I might even be able to prop the thing up and read while crocheting. I think this will be the most useful of my options. Maybe I can become the avid reader that everyone seems to think I should be.

I also want a pair of boots. Catskill Mountain Moccasins, in particular. They have a shop at the Renaissance Festival and every year for fifteen years I have ogled and drooled and dreamed about a pair of custom-made boots. This year might be the year, if I can continue to sell Gnomes like I have been.

As for Gnomes, the big order I just got has been reduced to half of the first expected amount. That does mean half the payment for half the Gnomes, but it brings them to a much more manageable number, and I don't have to kill myself quite so much to get them done. Whew!

Toil

Can't type. Crocheting.

Sore Hands

I brought this upon myself.

I accepted an order that will test the limits of my Gnome making ability. It will be the most Gnomes I have ever made in a week. Every spare second will be spend Gnoming. Thankfully, one of my roommates is willing to help with some nice hand and wrist massage. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

Arr! It Be a Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Fae!

May the wind fill yer sails and the treasure be not buried too deep!

Hands Burn

No, not another burn like what's on my arm, a burn as in sore because I've been working so hard!

Something will be unveiled tomorrow, and I have to get it done! I can, it just hurts right now. I'll give my crocheting fingers a break after this. For a while....

Domestic Fail

I already told you that I burnt myself with the iron on Tuesday. It's almost gash-like, on the outside of my forearm near the elbow. It wasn't so bad on Tuesday. I even felt like I didn't rub it or bang it very often. It hurt more yesterday. It's killing me today. And I discovered I run into walls a lot. And I open the car door with that part of my arm. And when my bag falls off my shoulder, guess where it lands? I'm getting sticky vitamin E everywhere. And I can't sleep on that side (which is ok because I normally sleep on the other side, but if the cat wants pettins, I can't help her).

Yeah. Domestic fail. Just when I thought it wasn't so bad.

Help Me Out, Folks!

I am an advocate of audiobooks. I've always wished I read more, even as a child. My lifestyle has always been just too active for books. Many people, when they learn this, express surprise at the knowledge. Apparently, I seem to others like a bookworm. Nope! Not I! Not because I don't like reading or what I can learn from reading, just that there always seems to be so many other things to do with one's day than sit around (even if one is improving their mind while sitting around).

Since I've started spending every spare moment with yarn in my lap and twisted around my fingers, my life has become many moments of sitting around. I'm ok with this, because I enjoy crocheting immensly, but something has to fill the void. I was spending a lot of time on hulu.com or watching any one of my DVD collection. But, one gets tired of sitting in a computer chair at work and then doing it some more at home (though I could take DVDs into the living room, Hulu had to stay on the computer).

Sunflyr gave me a compliment of audiobooks in mp3 format a while ago. They're great! But, I currently have them everywhere. I have the mp3s on my computer, I burn the current book to a CD so I can listen in my car, and I load them to my mp3 player so I can listen at work if I happen to have an hour or so to do that. It generally still plants me in front of the computer when I'm working with my yarn, as my mp3 player is an ancient beast of a thing that, I'm very sorry to say, is on it's last legs (sound only comes through one earpiece). And, eventually, I'll get through all these books that my roommate gave me and I'll need a source for more.

So, I was thinking of getting a subscription to audible.com. I can still listen to files on my computer, I can still record them to CD. But my ancient, beast of an mp3 player is not compatible with Audible files. Basically, if I go with the Audible option, I can only listen on the computer or in the car with a CD (because who has portable CD players anymore?). There is a plethora of things compatible with Audible files (for example, Amazon's Kindle is, while Sony's Reader is not), but I currently don't own any.

And, here I am!

Do any of you, gentle readers, love the power and freedom of audiobooks? Do you have an mp3 player or digital reader that you use for your books? I want to know! What service (Audible, purchase and rip your own, something else) do you use? What player do you have? I still have a few books to go through before I'm going to need more, but I'm looking into my options now.

Before Coffee

I burnt myself with the iron this morning.

There's nothing like trying to press a round, loose, pleated, embroidered skirt with a big hot plate of metal at 0530. I knew I should have done that last night. But, then, 2300 isn't much better than 0530 for needing to be coordinated while handling hot things.

Gah! Taxes!

I really hate the government sometimes. They make a mistake, and I have to pay. It's not right. But, I've done it, because they can certainly make my life miserable whether it's right or not.

Still, I don't have to be happy about it.

Another New Idea

While I was working on the super order I have (to the soothing background of the original Star Wars saga), I had another idea. I had asked on the Etsy forums not too long ago if anyone could think of any way that I could reuse (instead of throw away) all of the things from my days as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. I mentioned that I had a ton of plastic bags and old catalogs and I thought I could use them to package my stuff, but was worried if it would be too tacky to use things covered with Mary Kay trademarks when I'm trying to show I support handmade and build my own brand. (For the record, I have long since ceased selling Mary Kay products, not to say that there's anything wrong with Mary Kay products.)

The most useful idea people could relay to me was to shred the catalogs and use them as box filler (as opposed to just crumpling up the pages, which was my first thought). Great idea! But no one really had anything to say about how I could get some use out of the hot pink plastic bags.

This morning, I remembered reading once about cutting up plastic grocery bags and crocheting something like a tote or purse or something. I am so doing that! I have a ton of these bags! I have eighty five little ones and somewhere close to fifty large ones. Since they're thicker than regular grocery bags, I can cut them into fairly thin strips. I cut up twenty little ones today and strung them together to see how it might work. I think it might work! I'm psyched about this idea to use those bags without the branding conflict.

I don't know when I'll have time to make my plastic 'yarn,' let alone make something out of it, but there it is. Now I have a use for all those bags! I'll get some pictures and maybe make a tutorial on the craft blog in case other people are like me and are inundated with plastic bags (be they grocery or otherwise) and reluctant to throw them out (and keep forgetting to take them to the grocery store where they have recycling bins). Eventually, I'll make crochet use out of all those grocery bags too. The ones with holes in them that we can't use for cat business tend to just pile up. No more! I have a plan! A tote bag, a purse, a hat, a plan!!

Allow for Change

Pat and I were going to go to the beach. We had to cancel that for this year.

LDS and I had planned to pack up the boys and take them to an outdoor festival today. But, the boys took a long morning nap and I wasn't feeling well.

I ended up just staying home, working on the super order I got last week to the wonders of TV on DVD (today's feature was Firefly). For some reason, my roommate's PlayStation 2, that serves as our DVD player, has issues with my copy of Serenity. Not fair.

Tomorrow, I have crochet in mind too. The feature of the day might be Tin Man. I have some time to decide, though. I'm between audio books right now. It's nice to (kind of) watch something while I'm working too.

What Words Move You

"A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier."
~ Unknown

"An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose."
~ Langston Hughes

"'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where...' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat."
~ Lewis Carroll, from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."
~ Martin Luther

"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, 'She's so charming.' I want them to say, 'Be careful, I think she's armed.'"
-G. Stoddart

The Power of Inspiration

A few weeks ago, I had an idea. (This happens a lot: me, having ideas.) It means that I must learn how to make a certain kind of prop for my Gnomes. At first, I thought I would just buy them, but inspiration hit to make my own. I'm very excited about this idea. I made two yesterday, completely without a pattern or a tutorial. I am crazy excited about this. Here's a little preview for you!

These might be in the shop in time for the Winter Holidays, but I'm working on so many commissions right now, I can't promise anything.

Yay, creative juices!

Quote of the Day

I have to suck on them a bit before they become bite-able.

Jawbreakers! I'm talking about jawbreakers!!

I Can't Believe Today

I was so tired that I felt nauseous. Can you believe it?! The headache has happened before, but I sure don't recall the sick feeling. Oh, except when I used to get migraines. This headache was definitely very close to being a migraine (except that I don't seem to get them anymore since I started the Blood Type Diet). If I still got migraines, I wouldn't have lasted the day. As it was, I did manage to get Lady Vox some crickets and listen to Fox tell me about the kittens before taking a nap.

Fox and Fae have a newish place, I might have mentioned it. There are many stray cats around and one of them just had three adorable kittens. I got to meet them on Sunday night. So cute and little and furry! With the help of another friend, they managed to get all kittens and Mama into the apartment so they can work on taming them all and take them to a shelter to find some nice homes.

I really really want a kitten! But, every time I think about it, my beautiful Miss Luna looks at me with her sweet, unconditionally loving eyes. I have room for another cat in my life, but I'm not sure about my current cat. I'm really enjoying this bond that has grown even stronger since I took Miss Luna with me when I moved. I don't think she'll appreciate another cat to deal with. Even a young one that she can train. It's hard, really. I don't want her to be mad at me and I really love our relationship as it is. Fae said she would be sure to take the kittens to a no-kill shelter. That pleases me. I think I can live with that. It'll be hard, because they're, oh, so sweet! But I can live with that.

Beyond Worn Out

I closed yesterday, I opened today, and I only got a few hours of sleep in between. The day-desk-job has really turned me into a retail weakling! I'll have to do something about that.

Something.

First Day Working

Today is my first day working at the faire! We've changed a lot this year. I hope it's a good day!

Quick Trip

Dad and I made a quick trip to the fair to see the show. This year, they're doing one for September and a different show in October. We'll see the latter when we go for my birthday, but we would miss the September if we didn't go today.

It was an ok show. I'm glad we got the chance to see it.

Just as I Said

Kind of.

I did bake, but a friend came over, so I only got the corn muffins done. No time for cookies this time.

That just means I'll have them to bake later!

I'm Going to Bake Tomorrow

Yes, yes. I've decided. If I get out of work early because of the holiday, I'm going to bake. I need to make some corn muffins and I'm going to make some cookies. And I'll probably do it while some sappy chick flick or fun cartoon DVD is playing with a glass of wine and a pile of yarn. That sounds like a good plan.

Haven't Missed the Drama

WAM caught me in the kitchen this morning. Her nose and eyes were red like she had been crying. She said that she overheard Adolf talking to another coworker about "animals and salt shakers" and was so distraught by the comment that she had to run to the bathroom and throw up.

I reminded her that Adolf likes to joke about things and suggested that she misheard. "No, no," she said, "he was completely serious." She wouldn't tell me the exact comment because I was in the middle of preparing breakfast.

Knowing that WAM likes to run to HR when something upsets her, I let Adolf know she was upset about something she heard him say, still certain that he's not some crazy animal murderer.

He thanked me for it, said he talking to WAM to explain that the salt shaker comment had nothing to do with animals. It was about how some people break the bottom of plastic salt shakers at fast food restaurants with coins so that all the contents spill out when the next person picks them up. I did that too. Funny. Has nothing to do with animals. I have no idea what WAM thinks she heard.

I'm hoping she's not mad at me for telling him about it, though. Really, is it not better to get the truth than to get upset over a misunderstanding? I know she would not have approached him herself, and I think he deserved the chance to amend her conclusion, since it was not correct. She hasn't approached me about it yet. Maybe she won't. Maybe she feels better, now knowing that what she heard really wasn't what was said and doesn't blame me for telling Adolf.

Hard to say what some people think.

Sleep, I Want It

I had to come home and take a nap. The thing about this busy time of year when I'm working seven days a week (and now add my Etsy business to the mix), is that it totally throws off my circadian rhythm. I'm eating dinner and going to bed much later on weekends than I normally would, and it just puts everything out of whack.

I was so tired today that my eyes were burning. They still are. Maybe I'll get to bed a little early today too.