Heh... I just got back from the movies, and boy, was it ever *hokey*! (There's a "spoiler" at the end of this post... but don't worry... the end is hokey enough that it can't be made worse by "spoiling" it.)
As I was going down for my second last load of laundry tonight, the single dad across the hall asked if I was interested in joining him for a movie, because he was bored. (I double checked that he meant in a "friendly neighbour" kind of way, and he confirmed. I sometimes have trouble reading people, and I figured it was best to be safe.) I said I was pinching my pennies, but he offered to pay for the cheap theatre. We left after the last load was out of the dryer, and chose the movie based on what started after we arrived, but not too long after. "Knowing" and "State of Play" were both due to show soon, and another guy there said both were good. We went with "Knowing", because it started 10 minutes earlier. We still had time to play two rounds of air hockey before going to find our seats.
The movie started out like a regular action/suspense movie. Some underpaid kid up in the control booth was having fun making the lights flicker during the more suspenseful parts of the show. (He/she got rather carried away with it at the end, and the flickering lights just added to the hokeyness. (Wow... my spellcheck recognizes "hokeyness" as a word... but not spellcheck!))
The ending? Think Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve, and spooky angelic alien overlords. :P
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sex In The City
The oaks are fornicating like mad outside, and I took my last (12 hour) antihistamine on Thursday morning. :(
Observation: I'm *definitely* allergic to oak pollen.
Observation: I'm *definitely* allergic to oak pollen.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Cloth Shopping Bag
Ta da:
Check out the quality seams:
No fraying here! I did the types of seams found on jeans for the side and bottom, and for the corners, I zig-zagged the cut edge. The handles are also padded!
Question #1: If I were to sell these (say, to raise money to replace my worn out sandals guilt-free during a period of low income), how much do you think I could sell these for? (I have enough fabric to make more than I need for myself.) I estimate it takes me at least two hours per bag, even though I tried to "assembly line" the ones made from the blue fabric. Do you think $15 would be out of line? Would people pay that? Another reference point: those nylon ones have been selling for $5, and nothing has been done to reinforce their seams or to prevent fraying.
Question #2: If you're local, would you be interested in buying one? ;) I'd give a discount for friends, of course... a steal at $10!
Check out the quality seams:
No fraying here! I did the types of seams found on jeans for the side and bottom, and for the corners, I zig-zagged the cut edge. The handles are also padded!
Question #1: If I were to sell these (say, to raise money to replace my worn out sandals guilt-free during a period of low income), how much do you think I could sell these for? (I have enough fabric to make more than I need for myself.) I estimate it takes me at least two hours per bag, even though I tried to "assembly line" the ones made from the blue fabric. Do you think $15 would be out of line? Would people pay that? Another reference point: those nylon ones have been selling for $5, and nothing has been done to reinforce their seams or to prevent fraying.
Question #2: If you're local, would you be interested in buying one? ;) I'd give a discount for friends, of course... a steal at $10!
Funky Electronics
Now that's some funky electronics:
When mom and Bob first gave this to me earlier this week, I put in the strongest of the weak batteries I could scrounge up. Three of the pixels in the "tens" column of the minutes were missing. Tonight mom gave me better batteries. Now the pixels are mostly there... but they pulse with the ":" between the hour and minutes. How bizarre.
(About the high temperature reading... I just had it in my hands to reset the date and time, and it seems really sensitive to that.)
When mom and Bob first gave this to me earlier this week, I put in the strongest of the weak batteries I could scrounge up. Three of the pixels in the "tens" column of the minutes were missing. Tonight mom gave me better batteries. Now the pixels are mostly there... but they pulse with the ":" between the hour and minutes. How bizarre.
(About the high temperature reading... I just had it in my hands to reset the date and time, and it seems really sensitive to that.)
Socks! Blogged!
Crochet Socks
Boy, am I ever behind with blogging projects! I finished this pair (for my step-dad, hence the
Edit: Bob would like me to correct the above. The colour is *not* boring, it is *manly*.
Wacky Morning
I get Fridays off during the summer term. (No classes on Fridays, so Friday's hours get moved to the other four days of the work week.) So at 11 am this morning, I was snoozing and contemplating getting up, when the phone rang.
Unknown number: "Hello, this is the police. Are you at home right now?"
Me: Ack! "Yes...?"
Police: "Could you go down and let the police into your building?"
Me: Ack! "Uh, yeah... sure." ?!?!?!?
I grab my glasses and keys, contemplate my sexy sexy pajamas, decide they're fine (I'm fully clothed, if not presentable), and go downstairs. I hear a door close on my way down.
No one and no car at the front.
I hear a noise at the back door, look to see a resident. I go over. There *is* a resident, but no cops. I tell her what is happening, and in a sleep-fogged stupor, double check each door to make sure I didn't miss anything as obvious as cops and a cop car. I see another resident coming in, but still not cops.
My neighbour's kids ask to come see the plant they gave me, so I take them up. Neighbour starts telling me about other neighbour's antics while I look up non-emergency police number in phone book. I ask for a second to call the non-emergency line to find out where the invisible cops are. After being asked for details, I'm told someone else let them in.
Neighbour shoos her kids out (noticing I'm still in sexy sexy pajamas).
Still not thinking clearly, I contemplate what to do next. Before I figure this out (I'm thinking slow), the phone rings.
Unknown number: "Hello, it's the police. Can you let us in at the back door?"
me: This sounds strangely familiar... "Uh, sure..."
Not bothering with keys this time (not entirely sure where I set them down a few moments ago), and still having glasses on face, I make it to the door while they're still visible.
me: "I came down before, but no one was here."
Police: "We were down the street by the time they found someone to let us in."
(Rest of brief conversation cut.)
In other exciting news, my allergies tell me it's still spring, and I used my last antihistamine yesterday. I had been planning on going shopping on Sunday, but I may need to look into moving that up. (It's still not as bad as when I was in NC, but my throat and eyes are itchy, and I'm not enjoying the sensation.)
Perhaps I'll just retreat back to bed for a bit, and see if the next attempt at getting up is less eventful. :P
Unknown number: "Hello, this is the police. Are you at home right now?"
Me: Ack! "Yes...?"
Police: "Could you go down and let the police into your building?"
Me: Ack! "Uh, yeah... sure." ?!?!?!?
I grab my glasses and keys, contemplate my sexy sexy pajamas, decide they're fine (I'm fully clothed, if not presentable), and go downstairs. I hear a door close on my way down.
No one and no car at the front.
I hear a noise at the back door, look to see a resident. I go over. There *is* a resident, but no cops. I tell her what is happening, and in a sleep-fogged stupor, double check each door to make sure I didn't miss anything as obvious as cops and a cop car. I see another resident coming in, but still not cops.
My neighbour's kids ask to come see the plant they gave me, so I take them up. Neighbour starts telling me about other neighbour's antics while I look up non-emergency police number in phone book. I ask for a second to call the non-emergency line to find out where the invisible cops are. After being asked for details, I'm told someone else let them in.
Neighbour shoos her kids out (noticing I'm still in sexy sexy pajamas).
Still not thinking clearly, I contemplate what to do next. Before I figure this out (I'm thinking slow), the phone rings.
Unknown number: "Hello, it's the police. Can you let us in at the back door?"
me: This sounds strangely familiar... "Uh, sure..."
Not bothering with keys this time (not entirely sure where I set them down a few moments ago), and still having glasses on face, I make it to the door while they're still visible.
me: "I came down before, but no one was here."
Police: "We were down the street by the time they found someone to let us in."
(Rest of brief conversation cut.)
In other exciting news, my allergies tell me it's still spring, and I used my last antihistamine yesterday. I had been planning on going shopping on Sunday, but I may need to look into moving that up. (It's still not as bad as when I was in NC, but my throat and eyes are itchy, and I'm not enjoying the sensation.)
Perhaps I'll just retreat back to bed for a bit, and see if the next attempt at getting up is less eventful. :P
Monday, May 25, 2009
Harper is an ass
Aaaargh! Harper is back with his attack ads! I *hate* attack ads, and hate it even more that *Canadians* are creating them! Ironically, Harper is using American tactics to attack how Canadian Ignatieff is.
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Attack ads are un-Canadian. Please get your head out of your ass.
What sucks even more, is that this means that Harper is gearing up for *another* election! We don't need another election! No, you will not get a majority government, the people have clearly stated *twice* that they don't want you to have a majority government! Please get that through your thick skull, and try to *cooperate* for once, to make the government that you *do* have *work*! We don't need to be wasting taxpayer dollars on yet another election (or even worse, attack ads).
To everyone who feels similarly: If you have a Conservative MP in your riding *please* consider writing to him/her and expressing your distaste for attack ads and repeat elections! *Please*!!!!
PS: Feel free to post a version of this rant to your own blog/whatever... lets make the politicians *listen* to us!!!
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Attack ads are un-Canadian. Please get your head out of your ass.
What sucks even more, is that this means that Harper is gearing up for *another* election! We don't need another election! No, you will not get a majority government, the people have clearly stated *twice* that they don't want you to have a majority government! Please get that through your thick skull, and try to *cooperate* for once, to make the government that you *do* have *work*! We don't need to be wasting taxpayer dollars on yet another election (or even worse, attack ads).
To everyone who feels similarly: If you have a Conservative MP in your riding *please* consider writing to him/her and expressing your distaste for attack ads and repeat elections! *Please*!!!!
PS: Feel free to post a version of this rant to your own blog/whatever... lets make the politicians *listen* to us!!!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Further Adventures of Mr Party-Of-One
Mr Anebriated is now attempting to start his "boom box". (Perhaps he's worried about running down the battery?) The battery seems fine, since the starter motor goes, but then nothing happens. After a dozen or so tries, it appears that he has gotten the car running. (And the boom box is back to blasting.) Perhaps the whole "start the car" episode is because he keeps the car idling the whole time the music is playing?
I shudder for the environment.
I shudder for the environment.
My High Class Neighbours
Mr Party-Of-One is once again "anebriated"... and with the onset of warm weather, he has taken his party outside. His car is his great big boom box. (And his boom box has bass boost.) I wonder if my phoneless neighbour will need to borrow mine again so that her kids can sleep tonight? I don't think the building is currently vibrating. Perhaps it'll get cool enough when the sun sets that he'll head indoors.
Moments ago he had visitors... a lady with a shiner and a kid (I'd estimate a 10 year old) who stopped in briefly, plus two people who didn't come out of the car. The lady was highly critical of the halls (said in a snooty way: "they should wash the halls, it looks like animals have been through here" ... funny, since the person she was visiting is one of the animals), and then she honked the horn several times from the car. I'm not sure why... Mr Party-Of-One was right beside her, and he could have let her in to knock on any door she wanted to.
Ahhh... classy.
Moments ago he had visitors... a lady with a shiner and a kid (I'd estimate a 10 year old) who stopped in briefly, plus two people who didn't come out of the car. The lady was highly critical of the halls (said in a snooty way: "they should wash the halls, it looks like animals have been through here" ... funny, since the person she was visiting is one of the animals), and then she honked the horn several times from the car. I'm not sure why... Mr Party-Of-One was right beside her, and he could have let her in to knock on any door she wanted to.
Ahhh... classy.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
News that begs to be spread
How could I not post about this headline: Spreading serious message, giant colon travels north of 60. My favourite quote: "two-metre-high walk-through model of the human lower intestine, complete with an anus entrance". Be sure to click through to the article to see the photo!
You're welcome. ;)
PS: Be sure to get tested for colorectal cancer if you're over age 50. Thus ends your public service announcement.
You're welcome. ;)
PS: Be sure to get tested for colorectal cancer if you're over age 50. Thus ends your public service announcement.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Blog Reading
Hee! Recently I discovered The Estate Store's Virtual Storefront. It's great! If you like vintage stuff with a sense of humour, go check it out. (But be warned... on rare occasion Angry Beaver speaks, and he has a bit of a potty mouth, not suitable for impressionable minds.)
I have strange neighbours.
A Note From Downstairs
Thankfully I wasn't home at 3 pm.
Tip to drunks: "drunk" is easier to spell than "inebriated", especially while inebriated. Attempting to use big words will not make you seem smarter, especially when you can't spell them (or know the difference between "to" and "too").
At least he's being thoughtful. Sort of.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Someone's Feeling Optimistic
*gasp* ...is this spring I see?
(The sun was out again today, but the wind was nippy.)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
I Hurt.
Oh boy, do I ever hurt. Various parts of me hurt, but the worst are my fingers. They feel bruised and swollen, and it hurts to close my hands into fists. *whine*
Note to self: When "clean the tub" and doing something potentially pain-inducing are both on the list, clean the tub *first*. It really sucks to clean the tub while in pain. "Order of operations" matters.
Hmmm... now, do I take some more ibuprofin, or do I try tylenol instead, to see if that works any better? :P
Note to self: When "clean the tub" and doing something potentially pain-inducing are both on the list, clean the tub *first*. It really sucks to clean the tub while in pain. "Order of operations" matters.
Hmmm... now, do I take some more ibuprofin, or do I try tylenol instead, to see if that works any better? :P
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Busy Day
Ow. My body is objecting to what I made it do today.
Today started off easy. I slept late, and then dozed even later.
Then I whipped up a prototype cloth bag out of the vintage fabric I bought last week:
I started with the zodiac fabric since I had the most of it. Then I wandered over to the estate sale again to see if the daughter who was interested in the bags was there. (She wasn't.)
Afterwards I borrowed mom's car to go to The Forks... the last time I was there, I wanted to buy a pottery soap dispenser, but they didn't have one in stock in my favourite pattern, so I requested one. I had got a phone call on Friday that it was in. While I was there, I treated myself to a gelato, and walked around the grounds a bit. It'll be a while yet before the riverwalk is open... the water is still up to the *roof* of the structure that protects pedestrians from falling debris from the rail bridge:
(Can you see the little green triangle just above the water, under the bridge?)
After I came back from The Forks is when I started the task that is making me ache now. Meet the lilac bush in my mom's front yard:
(Same bush, two angles.) The lilac bush needed it's suckers pruned. I pruned. And pruned. And pruned some more. For some variety, I also pruned the suckers and a few low branches from the maple on the boulevard (there's no before photo, although you can see it in the background in one of the lilac bush photos):
and also edged and weeded around one of the three peonies in the neighbour's front yard where it borders our yard:
I figure that'll make it easier for the kids who she hires to mow her yard. (I'll get to the other two later. I didn't have time tonight.) I kept pruning, until my stomach told me to clean up so I could go eat. This is what the lilac looked like when we parted:
(Notice that the sun is much lower in the later photos... it was around 9 pm... so if my stomach hadn't said enough, the lowering light would have anyway. Checking the time on the first photos, it was shortly before six when I started.) The suckers and other debris filled two and a half garbage cans. (Our composter wouldn't be able to handle that much, especially since wood takes longer to compost.)
I snitched a few brownies from the freezer before heading home. ;)
Three hours of torture. My fingers and back are complaining. I think I'll have a hot bath before bed. Perhaps taking some advil would be a good idea too...
(Note: although I ache, it was a *wonderful* day! The weather was beautiful, and I got lots of stuff done. I really did enjoy myself... even if my body is complaining now.)
Today started off easy. I slept late, and then dozed even later.
Then I whipped up a prototype cloth bag out of the vintage fabric I bought last week:
I started with the zodiac fabric since I had the most of it. Then I wandered over to the estate sale again to see if the daughter who was interested in the bags was there. (She wasn't.)
Afterwards I borrowed mom's car to go to The Forks... the last time I was there, I wanted to buy a pottery soap dispenser, but they didn't have one in stock in my favourite pattern, so I requested one. I had got a phone call on Friday that it was in. While I was there, I treated myself to a gelato, and walked around the grounds a bit. It'll be a while yet before the riverwalk is open... the water is still up to the *roof* of the structure that protects pedestrians from falling debris from the rail bridge:
(Can you see the little green triangle just above the water, under the bridge?)
After I came back from The Forks is when I started the task that is making me ache now. Meet the lilac bush in my mom's front yard:
(Same bush, two angles.) The lilac bush needed it's suckers pruned. I pruned. And pruned. And pruned some more. For some variety, I also pruned the suckers and a few low branches from the maple on the boulevard (there's no before photo, although you can see it in the background in one of the lilac bush photos):
and also edged and weeded around one of the three peonies in the neighbour's front yard where it borders our yard:
I figure that'll make it easier for the kids who she hires to mow her yard. (I'll get to the other two later. I didn't have time tonight.) I kept pruning, until my stomach told me to clean up so I could go eat. This is what the lilac looked like when we parted:
(Notice that the sun is much lower in the later photos... it was around 9 pm... so if my stomach hadn't said enough, the lowering light would have anyway. Checking the time on the first photos, it was shortly before six when I started.) The suckers and other debris filled two and a half garbage cans. (Our composter wouldn't be able to handle that much, especially since wood takes longer to compost.)
I snitched a few brownies from the freezer before heading home. ;)
Three hours of torture. My fingers and back are complaining. I think I'll have a hot bath before bed. Perhaps taking some advil would be a good idea too...
(Note: although I ache, it was a *wonderful* day! The weather was beautiful, and I got lots of stuff done. I really did enjoy myself... even if my body is complaining now.)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Boo Boo, is that a picnic basket I see?
Well, it may not be picnic weather this weekend, but with a $5 investment in bolts, nuts, and washers, and less than an hour of work, the apartment picnic table is no longer in danger of collapsing even under my weighty behind. ;) (Take that, silly caretaker, who thought it couldn't be fixed! Yes, the wood is rotting, but it still has many years left.)
To whomever built the picnic table in the first place: bolts work much better than nails, and have you heard of two marvellous inventions called the tape measure and level?
To whomever built the picnic table in the first place: bolts work much better than nails, and have you heard of two marvellous inventions called the tape measure and level?
???
Could someone please explain what these little white fluffy things falling from the sky are? It is *May*. This weekend is the May long weekend (Monday is Victoria Day). The May long weekend is supposed to be when it's safe to plant, because the danger of hard frosts is over. (Could someone please explain that to the -3 temperatures yesterday morning, causing the appearance of thick ice?)
Why are there now *more* white fluffy things falling than a moment ago? It's getting to the point where it's hard to ignore...
Why are there now *more* white fluffy things falling than a moment ago? It's getting to the point where it's hard to ignore...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Estate Sale Fun
I found some fun, kitchy fabrics at an estate sale last weekend:
I think the peace/love and denim-y prints are 100% cotton, the zodiac one may contain some non-cotton content. Doing a burn test, all three burned really well, but the zodiac print had a different... sweeter(?) smell. At any rate, all three will make great reusable shopping bags. :) It sounds like I may even be able to sell back a few to the daughters who were running the estate sale. Nothing like recouping expenses! ;)
Other items I picked up include some glasses, a sturdier-than-most vegetable steamer (in case I'm hosting a big dinner, and want a second vegetable), a beer stein (present for my dad), and a coffee percolator that I thought some friends were looking for. It turns out the percolator was not what they wanted, but, as you can see, it's not a big loss. ;) I'm also going to ask my dad if he's interested. Otherwise I'll take it down to one of the local antique shops, and see if they'll offer me at least $2. For some reason, I'm actually finding it aesthetically pleasing... but I have no use for a coffee percolator (not being a coffee drinker, nor having grounds on hand for guests). Here's a more detailed look at the percolator:
There are six of the green glasses in total, but I didn't bother putting them all in the photo. I bought them because they matched the style of the blue glasses I bought at a yard sale last summer. Here's the two together:
Yeah, I know that one is Persian themed, and the other is Greek/Roman, but the artistic/aesthetic style is the same. Do any of you know anything about this style glassware? Does the style have a name? (It's hard to google when you don't know what it's called.) When was it made/popular? Was it made by a particular company, or were many companies making it? (I haven't seen it that much, so I don't think it was super common.) I love knowing the history behind stuff. :)
I think the peace/love and denim-y prints are 100% cotton, the zodiac one may contain some non-cotton content. Doing a burn test, all three burned really well, but the zodiac print had a different... sweeter(?) smell. At any rate, all three will make great reusable shopping bags. :) It sounds like I may even be able to sell back a few to the daughters who were running the estate sale. Nothing like recouping expenses! ;)
Other items I picked up include some glasses, a sturdier-than-most vegetable steamer (in case I'm hosting a big dinner, and want a second vegetable), a beer stein (present for my dad), and a coffee percolator that I thought some friends were looking for. It turns out the percolator was not what they wanted, but, as you can see, it's not a big loss. ;) I'm also going to ask my dad if he's interested. Otherwise I'll take it down to one of the local antique shops, and see if they'll offer me at least $2. For some reason, I'm actually finding it aesthetically pleasing... but I have no use for a coffee percolator (not being a coffee drinker, nor having grounds on hand for guests). Here's a more detailed look at the percolator:
There are six of the green glasses in total, but I didn't bother putting them all in the photo. I bought them because they matched the style of the blue glasses I bought at a yard sale last summer. Here's the two together:
Yeah, I know that one is Persian themed, and the other is Greek/Roman, but the artistic/aesthetic style is the same. Do any of you know anything about this style glassware? Does the style have a name? (It's hard to google when you don't know what it's called.) When was it made/popular? Was it made by a particular company, or were many companies making it? (I haven't seen it that much, so I don't think it was super common.) I love knowing the history behind stuff. :)
Found on Flickr
cast iorn dog playing in the leaves
Hee! What a great photo! I love the happy look on the dog's face. :)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Ouch!
Ooooo, ouch! Something shifted in my back as I was getting off the bus, and now I have a sharp pain in my back... I don't know if it's a slipped disc, or a pinched nerve, but whatever it is, *hurts*. (But, thankfully not to the point of passing out. I've had that happen with my back before.)
Today's weather: Rain being whipped around by *strong*, gusty winds. That's spring for you.
Today's weather: Rain being whipped around by *strong*, gusty winds. That's spring for you.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tattle-Tale
News bulletin: I'm a tattle-tale. A nosey one. Or, so says two of my neighbours, to a third neighbour who told me. Does that make her a tattle-tale too? ;)
Frankly, I don't care... since it seems to mean that the one (of those two) who gets drunk and then asks people in the block has never asked me for money. (Not that I'd loan her any... I don't loan *anyone* money. I'm a tight-wad, in addition to a tattle-tale. And there I go, tattling on myself.)
Of course, it wasn't me who called the cops on the father of my neighbour's children. Ever. But apparently someone else in the building *has*. Hmmm... perhaps we're a whole unit of tattlers? ;) (Now, I *have* loaned the phone to that neighbour if she needs it... whether to call the cops herself, or merely to order pizza.)
Notice to my neighbours:
1. If there's a problem with the way the building is being maintained, I will tell the landlord. I am not interested in living in a slum. Period. I will not let the building I am living in degenerate, if at all possible.
2. No, I will not do the caretaker's work for him... I will not shovel the snow for him, nor will I mop the floors for him. He has been hired as the caretaker, not me.
3. If you make enough noise to bother me in my suite, I will complain to the landlord. You are not allowed to choose what music I listen to. It's possible to listen to music without having it go through floors or walls, given how thick they are.
4. If you play music with excessive profanity so that it is clearly audible in the halls, I will also complain... there are children living in the building, and I don't like listening to that either, frankly. (If it's normal music bleeding into the halls, it doesn't bother me, and I won't mention it.)
If someone is parked in my spot, I won't complain unless you don't move when I want to use my spot. (Well, I think I did complain once when one person habitually parked so that he was taking up two spots, and thus more people parked in my spot... but I only think it's fair to keep it to one spot per car, since eight spots don't go that far if everyone parks haphazardly. And I just asked the landlord to mention that it would be nice if he didn't take up two spots with one car.)
I did complain when one person littered alcohol containers and beer bottle caps on the parking lot... but that goes back to keeping the building nice for everyone. Littering isn't cool. I figured that the bottle caps are hard on tires, too.
Beware me... I am a disagreeable, nosey neighbour. (I wonder who I'll offend when I bolt the loose joints in the picnic table so that it doesn't collapse under anyone? The landlord gave me permission, so I don't think it'll be him.)
Frankly, I don't care... since it seems to mean that the one (of those two) who gets drunk and then asks people in the block has never asked me for money. (Not that I'd loan her any... I don't loan *anyone* money. I'm a tight-wad, in addition to a tattle-tale. And there I go, tattling on myself.)
Of course, it wasn't me who called the cops on the father of my neighbour's children. Ever. But apparently someone else in the building *has*. Hmmm... perhaps we're a whole unit of tattlers? ;) (Now, I *have* loaned the phone to that neighbour if she needs it... whether to call the cops herself, or merely to order pizza.)
Notice to my neighbours:
1. If there's a problem with the way the building is being maintained, I will tell the landlord. I am not interested in living in a slum. Period. I will not let the building I am living in degenerate, if at all possible.
2. No, I will not do the caretaker's work for him... I will not shovel the snow for him, nor will I mop the floors for him. He has been hired as the caretaker, not me.
3. If you make enough noise to bother me in my suite, I will complain to the landlord. You are not allowed to choose what music I listen to. It's possible to listen to music without having it go through floors or walls, given how thick they are.
4. If you play music with excessive profanity so that it is clearly audible in the halls, I will also complain... there are children living in the building, and I don't like listening to that either, frankly. (If it's normal music bleeding into the halls, it doesn't bother me, and I won't mention it.)
If someone is parked in my spot, I won't complain unless you don't move when I want to use my spot. (Well, I think I did complain once when one person habitually parked so that he was taking up two spots, and thus more people parked in my spot... but I only think it's fair to keep it to one spot per car, since eight spots don't go that far if everyone parks haphazardly. And I just asked the landlord to mention that it would be nice if he didn't take up two spots with one car.)
I did complain when one person littered alcohol containers and beer bottle caps on the parking lot... but that goes back to keeping the building nice for everyone. Littering isn't cool. I figured that the bottle caps are hard on tires, too.
Beware me... I am a disagreeable, nosey neighbour. (I wonder who I'll offend when I bolt the loose joints in the picnic table so that it doesn't collapse under anyone? The landlord gave me permission, so I don't think it'll be him.)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Meet Gertrude
Remember my art show sales? How I wanted to do something to celebrate? I wanted to spend the money (or, at least, a significant portion of it) on something that I would enjoy, and would last (and thus be a lasting reminder of the successful show). I ended up going for two things... both of which were more than I would have otherwise spent, but which I think I'll enjoy for years to come. One was a Golding spindle, which I've drooled over for ages. (The order has been placed, but the spindle hasn't arrived yet. I went for a Seth Golding spindle with an art nouveau design.) The other is Gertrude, a cast iron dog door stop:
I was initially thinking of her as a "he", but when I tried to come up with a name, Gertrude is what stuck. So she's a "she". (No, she is not anatomically correct, so I was free to make up my mind.)
I bought her from a local vintage/antique store, who acquired her from an estate sale of a woman who collected cast iron things back when they weren't worth anything. (I really liked the unicorn plaque which also came from the same estate, but it was large, purely decorative, and *way* more than I could afford.) The shop owner estimates Gertrude is from around the 1920s. Doing some googling, I think she's made by Hubley (there's no marks indicating manufacturer), and is referred to as a Boston or bulldog terrior.
Right now she's guarding my bedroom door, but once I take care of some boxes, she'll be holding my home office door open for me. (It really gets blown around by the wind in the summer, and is higher than the ugly plastic doorstop can really handle.)
If I think of Gertrude as a sculpture that is also useful, rather than a doorstop, her price is more reasonable. But what the hey... it was found money from selling my art. ;)
I was initially thinking of her as a "he", but when I tried to come up with a name, Gertrude is what stuck. So she's a "she". (No, she is not anatomically correct, so I was free to make up my mind.)
I bought her from a local vintage/antique store, who acquired her from an estate sale of a woman who collected cast iron things back when they weren't worth anything. (I really liked the unicorn plaque which also came from the same estate, but it was large, purely decorative, and *way* more than I could afford.) The shop owner estimates Gertrude is from around the 1920s. Doing some googling, I think she's made by Hubley (there's no marks indicating manufacturer), and is referred to as a Boston or bulldog terrior.
Right now she's guarding my bedroom door, but once I take care of some boxes, she'll be holding my home office door open for me. (It really gets blown around by the wind in the summer, and is higher than the ugly plastic doorstop can really handle.)
If I think of Gertrude as a sculpture that is also useful, rather than a doorstop, her price is more reasonable. But what the hey... it was found money from selling my art. ;)
Art Show Display
Art Show Display
Here's my display from the art show... with the secret paintings hidden, of course. The two that sold are the charcoal nude, and the blue/green painting in the lower left.
Neat Clouds
Neat Clouds
I snapped a photo of these neat clouds last week on my way to the bus. The sun was giving them a silver lining, and closer to the horizon, I could see the rain coming down. I love clouds like this. :) They have a lot of drama.
Emergency Mitten Repair
Late this past winter I noticed that a pair of my mittens were getting dangerously thin by my pointer finger on my right hand. (Dangerous both in terms of the structural integrity of the mitten, and, of course, frostbite.) I wasn't ready to give up on these mittens... they are soft (alpaca), pretty, and the first pair of mittens I made. Plus, I designed them myself.
Problem #1: I didn't save the leftover scraps of yarn. (There hadn't been much... but what was left I had given to someone doing a scrumble.)
Problem #2: The mittens are crochet, not knitting. (Knitting is easy to reinforce with duplicate stitch. There's no duplicate stitch for crochet. I could have done a woven darn, but that wouldn't have been as elastic.)
Problem #1 was solved through the kindness of a knitter on Ravelry. (Not the same dye lot, of course, but the same yarn and colour number.) Problem #2 was solved by an idea I had about integrating a knitted darn into crochet fabric. It worked! The look is a bit different, but the mittens are once again warm, toasty, and not in danger of disintegrating!
Here I am with the darn in progress (most dangerously thin part already darned):
Completed darn:
I had enough yarn left over that I decided to do a woven-style darn on a few other areas that were getting stretched out. Here's the main one:
There was only a wee tiny scrap of yarn left when I was done:
I don't care how small it is, I'm keeping it!
The darned mittens:
Yay!!! Thanks, frednbutter! You're my hero!
Problem #1: I didn't save the leftover scraps of yarn. (There hadn't been much... but what was left I had given to someone doing a scrumble.)
Problem #2: The mittens are crochet, not knitting. (Knitting is easy to reinforce with duplicate stitch. There's no duplicate stitch for crochet. I could have done a woven darn, but that wouldn't have been as elastic.)
Problem #1 was solved through the kindness of a knitter on Ravelry. (Not the same dye lot, of course, but the same yarn and colour number.) Problem #2 was solved by an idea I had about integrating a knitted darn into crochet fabric. It worked! The look is a bit different, but the mittens are once again warm, toasty, and not in danger of disintegrating!
Here I am with the darn in progress (most dangerously thin part already darned):
Completed darn:
I had enough yarn left over that I decided to do a woven-style darn on a few other areas that were getting stretched out. Here's the main one:
There was only a wee tiny scrap of yarn left when I was done:
I don't care how small it is, I'm keeping it!
The darned mittens:
Yay!!! Thanks, frednbutter! You're my hero!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Found on Flickr
Grey Suffolk Sheep
Awww! Check out the Flickr photo stream for more adorable swatch sheep cuties! In particular, don't miss this photo.
Found on Flickr
Lamb Face Cloth
Adorable! Click through for a link to the free pattern. (I must add this to my Ravelry queue.)
Found on Flickr
Caffeine Molecule Coaster
Ha! Fantastic! I wonder what other molecules would make good coaster designs... I shall keep this in mind the next time I'm playing with proteins. ;)
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