Thursday, May 31, 2007

I love noise (no, really)

Freakin' loser electrician next door decided to test my window glass strength, uh...I mean blast us with an industrial-sized radio yesterday. Now, I love "classic rock" as much as the next aging, sagging bellied-loser electrician, uh..I mean "the next guy" but this is too much. K the elder approached the work crew and politely asked them to turn it down. Loser-boy was off-site and one of the other crew members nicely obliged. Loser-boy came back 45 minutes later and blasted the snot out of...sorry, I meant "turned it up again". WTF! K (once again) approached the freak and asked (politely AGAIN) 'if (he) could turn it down'. The answer, without a soupcon of irony was 'no'. "You mean that you won't turn it down?". "No". K climbed into the work site and asked him once again if he wouldn't consider it and once again, the fat fuck...uh sorry (can't stop slipping into the local vernacular) "the electrician" said 'no'. Approached the self-proclaimed 'site director', who said that it wasn't his responsibility. Fine, matters like this are best left for a vindictive, malevolent force of nature...uh,"me". One call to his boss, a client of K the elder's and bum-licker (oh sweet mother of pearl, I'm slipping AGAIN), I meant to say "numb nuts"...no nonononononono I meant to say 'the guy' (pheeee-yew!) turned it down. I'm just waiting for today's antics. I have already spoken with the by-law office and our local constabulary - all it will take is one more indiscretion, one more step over the line between inconvenience and outright attack and the boom will come down. My patience has now run out. Deep breath. Deep breath. Freakin' hillbillies!

On a much happier note, Taz is our new "IT" grrl, running off with the next PIF; Girlfriend, I still need your addie to start the ball rolling. Drop me a line when you get the chance. As revenge...ooops, I mean as a 'thank you for tagging me', she tagged me back. I guess it's time to use my handy-dandy "get out of memes free" card. I'm not a TV watcher so I didn't make the connection with Drew Carey's Mimi, until I looked at the title of the photo. Meh, she looked pissed off and that suits my mood EXACTLY LOL. If I could just get my hands on some pale blue eyeshadow.... and some dead spiders to use as eyelashes.

Monday, May 28, 2007

I love little boys


HAPPY - c'est moi!

Many, many thanks to Angelique for including me in the PIF project. I was thrilled to get a lovely little envelope in the mail this morning (how did she know how much I love cool stamps!?!). It sort of clanked when I shook it so I was worried on the walk home - was it broken? Oh no! Maybe it was filled with so much love that it cracked apart? Thankfully nothing was broken - it was 2 (yes, not 1 but 2!!) lovely coasters featuring the most amazing flower pictures, taken by the lady herself! They've already taken up residence in my office, distracting me from any real work as I admire them over & over again. And she sent a beautiful card featuring another gorgeous photo (which will find its way into a frame, along with the ones sent to me by Sara - -just beautiful!) I am most humbly impressed. The highlight of my morning is to have been able to hold the "for good peoples" card. There's a lot of good energy in that card - I'll post photos as soon as I can.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I'll share how Angelique has put it: “The idea is basically to pass on a little something 'nice' to someone. This wonderful idea started with Mary Contrary and has now traveled to Allyson Hill, Beebee Mod, Barking Biscuit and now me". Oooh, and me, I s'pose! It's a really cool story but distilled to its finest, it's a story about how being kind is never an action wasted. The chance to share a little of this kind energy with others (esp. those in the blogosphere who keep us company, entertain us and make us smile even on the darkest days)is a pretty cool concept, too.

This of course leads me to an important juncture - the next person in the PIF line. Want to play? Of course you do! Be the first person to leave a comment on this post and you'll be the next 'it'. I'll send you an email to confirm that you've been tagged. Join the chain and keep the good energy flowing - you'll get to forward it along, too. Isn't that the coolest thing EVER!?!

I collected the last of the mittens on Friday and got to visit among the LAND OF THE LITTLE FOLKS (or, elementary schools as most normal people call them). Waiting for one of the school's admins to finish a phone call, I observed something odd; all of the children now visit the washrooms in pairs! Isn't that smart?!? The buddy system is a great way to keep track of kids, especially with the amount of anxiety (and the reasons for that anxiety, 'out there'). The little girls giggled together, holding hands as they went into the WC; the little boys however, were a different breed of animal all together. Two boys, probably about 7 headed past me in the hallway, silently moving towards their goal (WC). As they finished up and were washing their hands, I heard Boy 1 ask Boy 2 if he had a girlfriend. Boy 2 mumbled a response and Boy 1 replied, "yeah some girls you'll just never understand". How's that for back country logic! Little dude's got us all sussed out, ladies. I suspect he'll be a force to be reckoned with when he's old enough to date.

I'm still working on knitting enough mittens to fill a few more bags for next winter; in a rural area, mittens are highly prized. This is especially true when we get hit by our famous freezing rain and bitter winds. I grew up with snowy winters and heavy snowfall warnings. I assumed that we were moving into a more stable, warmer climate when we packed our bags ten years ago. Was I ever wrong! The weather here changes constantly - one minute you're in scorching heat, unable to breathe, the next you're trying to keep the dirt out of your eyes as a dust storm flies through, or hoping that your roof doesn't blow off in a heavy windstorm. Our winters seem mild... until you head outside on a sunny February morning and feel the skin on your face turn white with frostbite. Eeeks! A few pairs of mittens really make a difference. One school admin told me that she keeps mitts, socks and hats available for anyone who needs them. If they don't need them anymore, the kids know to hang wet things to dry or to replace the item in the storage cabinet.No questions. No embarrassment. No scolding. Isn't that great! I was really happy when this school returned an empty mitten bag - they used up all of the mittens! Happy doesn't even begin to cover how I felt. If you're a mitten-knitter, drop by my other blog and check us out. Make up a few pairs and keep a few more little hands warm next winter :)

Friday, May 25, 2007

Whachamacallit

I never celebrate birthdays; where I come from you get a little something from your family and maybe someone bakes you a small cake. No big whoop– it’s all good. Seeing as this will be the celebration (well, for some of you – misery for the rest of you) of my 516 months on the little blue planet, I figgered that it was time to break a few habits. I will – now this is the scary part. Are you sitting down? – be hosting a birthday gathering later this summer. I need your help in deciding what the name shall be. Because of the monumental nature of the event, the suffixes “2007”, “bash” ,“fest” and “o-rama” will figure quite prominently (Unless you know of other good suffixes)

So far, my choices are:

1. Leave Your Beer & Wine (now SCRAM)-o-rama
2. Mustard, Preztels and Liquor-o-rama 2007
3. Nuttin’ but Condiments-fest (Youse guys know how much I love my mustard LOL)
4. Root Beer Party 2007
5. Show us your (insert name of favorite body part here) -fest (Who put that one on the list?!? Really!)
6. 516 months of bliss. Just ask my husband-fest
7. My Kick Ass, Knock your Grandma Down 3rd annual 40th Birthday Bash
8. Bothering the Neighbours Since 1964; why destroy an ancient tradition-fest
9. One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor-fest (a dear friend recommended changing this to 1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, “whore-fest”. Remarkably, he is still alive. For now)”
10. Sharkey & Muffin’s White Trash Bash (“it won’t start when I shut it off so she has to get the beer. She slips it on the front seat and she quietly says to me….” Sing along if you know it)
11. My Neighbors are Old – Let’s Keep Them Awake-fest
12. Booze Crooze in my BackYard 2007
13. The Cops Ain’t Bin to my House since Grandma was Arrested, so let’s give them a reason to visit-fest
14. Y’all Get Real Drunk, Y’hear-fest
(courtesy of Pat)

Please place your votes via the handy-dandy comment feature. June sumthing sumthing, I'll tally up the numbers and see who walks/limps/crawls away the winner. There may be prizes involved. Maybe....

In all seriousness, we are respectable, law-abiding people who are not white trash (at least, I don’t think that we are). We’re relatively well-educated, well-traveled and civilized. Just for the record: Grandma as never been arrested nor has anyone tried to kick her, we do not want to see your various body parts, there will probably be no tequila, I like my neighbors and finally, yes we will serve food, not just condiments.

If you’ve got any others, send ‘em on. I’ll be busy spraying my beehive hairdo for spiders, slapping on my marabou sling backs and adjusting my stretch pants. My fluorescent pink lycra stretch pants. Yeah, I know – you think in pictures, doncha?!?

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Status Quo (no, not the British band, just my life)

Typical conversation in my house:

Me: Is Flashlight in or out? The construction crew has arrived and she shouldn't be outside
Him: Huh?
Me: Is Flashlight in or is she out?
Him: Sorry?
Me: Did you bring Flashlight in?
Him: What?
Me: Is. Flashlight.in. the.house?
Him: Okay, I'll let her in
Me: Oh, never mind

This, folks, is the reason that I believe in the power of meditation. After over 25 years of this nonsense, you either move on to the 'happy place' inside your head or you're doing time for murdering someone. It's all about your options. Happy thoughts...happy thoughts

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

what else could I be???

History major, folks - need I say more???


I am nerdier than 90% of all people. Are you a nerd? Click here to find out!


Being a historian is a lot like being a gun slinger in downtown Ottawa - not much call for you these days...

Monday, May 21, 2007

Canines with a Cause

This is so cool - Canines with a Cause was just on CBC local news - Celeste was a diamond! The best part (besides seeing Nash's sister demonstrating her smarts) was to see my dear friend, Miriam sharing her dream. If you haven't heard of this great local organization, check them out. With a small volunteer staff, they raise and train service dogs and donate them to people in need, free of charge. Despite all of the challenges of running an all-volunteer/ donation driven group, they work miracles, especially for the people who get to live a full, complete life thanks to a Canines With A Cause dog.

If you are in the Ottawa area and would like to foster one of their amazing puppies, please have a look at their puppy-raiser page. If you can give a little time, a lot of energy and even more love - you could change someones life forever.

If fostering is out of the question, why not host a fund-raiser and donate the proceeds to Canines With A Cause. If you can afford it, consider sponsoring a puppy. For a nominal cost, you get a heck of a lot of free advertising and the knowledge that you've help to change the world.

A service animal is a link back to a world that most of us take for granted; accessibility is a right and a service dog grants that right to their human, freely and with more love than a human can possibly understand. Wouldn't you like to see this for yourself? It just might change your life

For all of you who claim that this little knitting blog has very little actual knitting content, I give you Flashlight, my 'service cat' who knits for me (and if you believe that, do I have a car to sell you?!?)

Sunday, May 20, 2007

It's Raining Babies Around Here



So many of my friends are reproducing...this alarming rate of procreation can only mean one thing: Baby Showers!!! I had my boys when I was a lot younger than my reproducing friends are today so it makes me giggle when we are all talking about our 'babies'; 'mine's 3', 'mine's 12 months', 'mine are 22 & 17' (and watch the jaws drop - "you have a 22 year old?!?)

Drove off to Cantley, Qc on Sunday to attend the shower of a dear friend, long MIA due to distance and life, in general. Got to meet all of the fun people that I've heard about for years - and, yes, they were fun. And great. And nice. Did I ever tell you that I like nice people? I like nice people. Got to see my dear pal, S and hear the latest news - growing family, happy days, good stuff. Got to see my old friend, Jerome and meet his lovely wife and darling little girl. Julia is a little gem. She must take after her mum ;). Adri's (the mum to be) mother was filling our glasses and plates, singing and making us all feel very welcome and part of the family. Watching her face light up when talking about the new baby was worth the drive into the Quebec wilderness.

I have a huge confession - I am not a happy shopper. I like to plan my shopping for maximum efficiency, dash, grab, pay and leave. I am not a browsy/pokey shopper. Presented with the challenge of baby gifts, I drew a total blank...until I thought about who the gift was for. Adri is a former Goth-kid, with a well-cultivated dark side and a wicked sense of humor (scorpio women rock, folks). She was the only person in my (federal government) office who totally got how funny Gwar was.She can meet me head on with competing Simpsons quotes. And she's smart. Did I ever tell you that I like smart women? I like smart women.

Driving into the city, I had a major brainstorm - Skulls! Crossbones! Skeletons! None of the baby shops I visited carried anything with that type of imagery. WTF?!? There have got to be babies who like the morbid? The spooky? The campy? Like any good crafter in my situation, I devised the only workable solution - make them myself. I couldn't find any t-shirts so I chose some nice onesies, drew up some designs and downloaded the coolest kitty & bones design (you know how I feel about 'death kitty'. I love death kitty. A lot.Remember my hat?) Some paper-backed fusible web, an iron and a lot of zig-zagging threadly goodness later and 2 onesies were stitched and presented. It made me blush when they were passed around and everyone loved them. I'm the perfectionist/type A freaky type so I saw every imperfection but muggles can't see beyond the fun factor. I'm making up a 3rd one, with the wee one's initial once s/he shows his/her mug to the world. I'll get the stitching perfect on that one!

Fun & Games


I've been working on some sets of stitch markers - in my free time. A few of my old jewelry customers have asked for some so I figured that I just whip off a few sets. Oh wait a minute - I get the joke now! "Free time" - OMFG that's too funny!

Thank heavens for little drugs, for little drugs get better every day...ok, so not what Maurice Chevalier would sing but...

K the elder is now on 2 Tylenol 3s and a Valium at night- guess what? He slept through the night. Yeah, like he was shot in the bum with an elephant tranquilizer. He has such a high tolerance for any sort of painkiller that our MD underestimated how much he needed. His mis-spent youth is surely to blame but being a delicate little flower who has never soiled my hands in the seedier world, I know nothing about such things. Hrrmph, yeah right - wanna buy a bridge? I hear Brooklyn's got a nice one at a really good price...

Guess what? Nash is still a pain - a cute pain but a pain in the butt, none the less

Nashie has a new game - he takes his broomball ball (what's wrong with those words???), stands in front of me barking from behind that chunk of orange plastic and waits for me to say "wanna play...BALLLLLL??". I then take the ball, roll it down the hall and scream 'cuz that's how we roll!'. It's hilarious. He high tails it off to retrieve the ball but (and this is the funny part), the game is over if I don't call out 'cuz that's how we roll'. Why does that make a difference? Ask him cuz he hasn't told me yet. He's the dude, my own personal Lebowski!

Tag - you're it!


Scarlett
has tagged me with a meme - 7 random facts about moi? Mon Dieu - everything freakin' thing about me is random! Because I'm ever the iconoclast, I am taking it upon myself to make it 5 random facts and tagging 5 people, in return. My middle name is "Random" so I guess I have a head start

The rules - Each person tagged gives 5 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs 5 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag 5 others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog ( I am sooo going to forget to do this step). Awaaaaay we go!

1. I hate American soap operas but cannot get enough EastEnders and Coronation Street! Why? Who knows - maybe it's because the Brits use more realism in their soaps. American soaps are all glam & glitz, murders and kidnappings. In the Brit versions, you still get the murders and kidnappings but they take place in back street bars and seedy side street markets, not estates and five star hotels.

2. I long to visit Iceland; of all the places that I've been or could go to, Iceland is the highest priority on my list. Why? I don't know...history, high degree of literacy,glaciers, hot springs, Bjork - who knows?!? K the elder has a cousin who is half Icelandic (named Thor, no less)...except for an accident of birth, I too could have been born in Gimli, MB and ave Viking/ Varangian roots

3. I had a bi-polar childhood, divided between boarding school in Montreal/ civilized life with my Grandparents and my parents' wild, frenetic life - communes, travels, self-discovery (freakin' 70s!). I think that it has made me a very conscientious (and protective) parent who has tried to build a home for my sons, not just a place for them to sleep.

4. Are you still reading after the last comment? What is this - like rubbernecking on the highway, checking out an accident? Ok, I'll play along.I adore black licorice - real licorice, mind you, not that fake rubbery, plastic stuff. AND I get very bitchy when my local supplier runs out and doesn't get stock for weeks on end (Yes, Shopper's Drugmart & The Dutch Store- I am talking about you!)

5. I studied Canadian Studies at McGill Uni, with a minor in History. I specialized in early Russian history (and Canadian history, of course). I fell in love with Russian culture and the resiliency of the Russian people. I also befriended 2 former USSR residents (cheers, Piotr & Zsoltan!) and we drank a lot of beer in our school bar, Gert's (located in the Shatner building - yes, that Shatner!). They taught me Russian songs and legends. I still sing about the Rusalki & Vorodonyi when I am in a very good mood. I call my husband "Kalita" when he goes on one of his spending sprees (guitars, amps and pedals - what else?).I was supposed to study in Tver but life got in the way and I didn't push it aside. I don't regret a lot in my life but I do regret this

Consider yourselves tagged, Ladies

Zia - hee hee hee tagged you back ;)
Sara - I'll bribe you with sock knitting
Taz - Share, girl, share
Louise - Another Down Under-er
Stitch-dom - Ottawa Knitters' Represent!

Hope that this weekend has brought you all peace and relaxation - mine's been hectic but I'll tell you all about it tomorrow (it involves petulant cats - beware)

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Bad, bad Bloggista

I've been running so fast, there hasn't been a minute to jot down what's going on. K the elder is in a lot of pain - tried to move something at work and being a stubborn old man, uh I mean being persistent and dedicated, pulled harder when the object wouldn't budge. His back is knotted severely and we now think that he has a stress fracture of his calf. He has lost a lot of muscle density since his illness so there's not a strong muscle network supporting his body. He hasn't slept more than an hour or 2 and has to keep moving to stop the pain from taking over. Even the Valium his MD prescribed to help him sleep isn't doing enough so we're off to the hospital today to find out what we can do. Poor dude - he's not very good at allowing himself to be taken care of so we're butting heads a bit. I'm getting so little done (compared to the massive list that I need to do)and I'm trying to be patient (yeah, like that'll happen!) and pleasant(ditto).

They're starting on our roof next week; I had hoped that they would be doing it while I was working from my home office this week but ...you know, to make God laugh, tell him your plans. I'll have to sedate Jack heavily once they start or he'll tear his crate apart again. Imagine - psychotic dog faced with yelling men pounding and screaming all over my roof! Eeeek - call in the medics! I'll probably need horse tranqs to keep him quiet. 100 lbs of fury and irrationality - yup, that spells hilarity. Surely there's a sitcom waiting to be written from all of this?!?

I've worked a bit on the Etsy site, opening my virtual doors - now, I just have get some decent photos taken. There's little crafting going on but there's tons of 'real business' taking place. A new marketing plan for my 'real' business, a modified business plan to develop and lots and lots of client talks are on the desk right now. All said, it's going to be a productive month (if I can only stay awake to get it done). Being a grown-up sucks

In the middle of our muddle, young K is storming on - he's working hard with his theatre group, raising funds to pay for the musical score licenses that they need to put on Little Shop of Horrors (aren't they amazing! Little Shop!!! What good taste these guys have!!!) and staying late for rehearsals. He's starting to look a little tired. It's nice to see that his fatigue hasn't dampened his sense of mischief though - check out what he added to my shopping list the other day (and yes, my handwriting does bite - I can't really hold a pen well anymore so it always looks like an escaped mental patient writes my lists for me)

Where exactly does one purchase a flux capacitor? Oh well, better check eBay!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Happy Thoughts on a Sunny Day

Ever look around you and totally get that you're doing pretty good, all things considered?
Here's the short list of things that I'm more than a little grateful for:

*sleeping in until 6h18!!! Hey, I've had 2 weeks of 4h30 until midnight, except when I collapsed and crawled up to bed at 21h00 one night - this extra few hours was most appreciated

*Starting the day with my dogs, my guy and some strong Osterlich caffe (that's "strong coffee that can melt your spoon" to the rest of the world)

* Visiting a secluded garden for a heritage plant sale, hosted by the most lovely Yuko and her husband - thank you so much for the druzhba tomatoes. My Russophile heart soared to walk away with 'friendship' tomatoes

* Dim sum with my 'family by choice, not birth' - hey you guys know how special you are to me. I hope that you like your new title. Here's to Rita, Francois & Marie-Claude!!!

* Having a safe drive into and out of 'the city' - no accidents, wildlife (deer,turkey, horses, bison, bear, or rollers (da popo, to you urbanites)

* Shopping for summery things - who has time to stop and shop leisurely? I never do - this was a real treat. Finding massive sales where ever I went was a blessing, too

* Running into an old friend who I had lost touch with and realizing that she's finding her way and is healthy and happy. Looking at her 2 beautiful daughters and seeing her glow when she talks about them - it doesn't get any better than that! Saundra, Bella and Thalia - so good to have our paths cross again!!!

* Coming home and seeing Jack in his crate, sleeping off his meds, with only a thumping of his tail to acknowledge that I'm home

* Finding a ton of quilt scraps at the thrift store and a flowered sheet that is begging to be part of my dining room blind replacement project - bliss, thy name is fabric (and yarn)

* Stopping for a few minutes to acknowledge that I've been able to add a few more friendly faces to my little corner of the universe (Hi Tina & Christine!!). You'll have to hang on for a little while (some things are still 'secrets') but just you wait and see what these 2 ladies will be doing in our local business community!!! Prepare to be amazed!!!!


What really blows my mind is that the day is still young. Who knows what other joys the day will send my way? At least my eyes are open for their arrival

Friday, May 11, 2007

thought so...

GREEN

You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Just a typical afternoon (absorbing life lessons all the way)

* work butt off, trying in vain to ignore participant who can't seem to shut up...EVER! - hard work is good for the soul and patience? Well, patience is a virtue
*Drive, drive and drive some more - ah the rural life! Isn't nice to leave the city and drive, drive, drive all the way home!?! Watch out for the deer...the wild tom turkey...the loose bison who escaped from that farm...deep breath, deep breath
*come home later than planned, carrying laptop, tote, day shoes (I wear driving mocs so that I don't spend more on heel repair than shoes), mail, purse, etc. etc - strength training is highly recommended
*stagger through 36" deep sand left by construction crew, slipping, sliding, pulling weakened back muscles - pain makes you grow
* fight off overwhelmed dogs who declare 'the construction workers were playing soccer in our yard AGAIN and didn't invite us, mummy - fix it!' - it's so nice to be greeted by loving faces
*make supper, using only the freshest organic vegetables and high protein, local free range meat on the market (who am I kidding - call DH to tell to order pizza - sausage and pepperoni) - nutrition is important
*change from suit to real clothes in order to relax - changing clothes is a signal to the body to release tension - now I can get some real work done!
*bring laptop outside to finish writing proposal number 18 - ahhh, fresh air is so rejuvenating
*recover patio chairs from all over the yard - it's so nice to share with those (filthy) construction people - I'm sure that they're all lovely individuals. Please help yourself to a drink while you're making yourself comfortable
*Smell heavy manure smell of local farmers' soy bean and corn fields - ok, not so pretty but it's natural. Isn't rural life so ... ah who am I kidding?!? It smells like every cow in the county took a dump in my backyard. My search for zen is starting to clunk along
*lose server connection 12 times - ahhhh technology. Patience is a virtue
*return inside to office to complete proposal - home should be about family, not silly proposals or this 'earning a living' joke
*attend to squealing DH, standing on hall landing and looking frantically out landing window- oh my goodness! Did you break a limb? Lose a toe? Let me sew it back on for you
*follow panicked gaze of DH and check out marmot, 'sleeping' in the dog run - ahh, rural life is wonderful! Look how we can commune with wildlife!
*go outside to encourage "sleeping" marmot to take off - communing with nature is so important in our hectic times but it's really time to get your own yard, dude
*gently poke said marmot with dust broom - we must respect our animal neighbours so gentle is best
*poke marmot harder - respect is important - why isn't he respecting me and leaving?
*realize that your forestry engineer, wild man husband is deathly afraid of a former marmot, a deceased marmot - A D*E*A*D* marmot and start laughing hysterically - laughter feeds the soul
*arouse the suspicion of your neighbours, who come to investigate - neighbours are so important in these impersonal times
*watch their faces as you try to explain why it's all so funny and realize that maybe it's just not that funny - it's important to be sensitive to others
*realize that no work will be done tonight and that you'd better get up at 4h30 to complete the proposal - be flexible like the willow

AH CRAP!

The Late, Great Marmotska

He's a lumberjack and it's ok...he sleeps all night and pokes marmots by day

Yes, that is my swiffer that he's using. Be proud of dear K - this is the closest he's ever gotten to a marmot. Don't get me started about our resident skunk


What makes it all worthwhile - my salvaged jonquils, shining like the sun. I love you all

Ah poop - now I'm late for my commute

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Possibly

the most annoying, yet compelling video ever
Badgers
yeah, IF YOU'RE A TWEAKER
Holy Moley Cow

Listen guys - not exactly erudite, I know but...
it's 6h30
I woke up to a cat sitting on my pillow
I've got wet hair (and I hate wet hair)
I've got to sit in a stuffy classroom all day
My brain hurts
I haven't touched my coffee yet

"When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in other peoples' eyes - if you must suffer, so must they"
Ren

"Happy Happy Joy Joy"
Stimpy

Monday, May 07, 2007

How I know that I'm

OLD

Well, I still watch Henry Rollins rant and rave but it's on syndicated television, not some grotty stage in a club of questionable repute, in a bad neighbourhood. Oh yeah, and that I go right to bed afterwards...cuz it's 9 pm and I'm old & tired

What happened, man!?!

Sunday, May 06, 2007

"D" for Done!



Finally, a little (completed) knitting to crow about. I finished up my second "Zia" sock last evening. I had bought a little Harrisburg from Mississippi Black Sheep in a beautiful deep periwinkle blue (with tiny flecks of a deep purple hiding in it). The vintage sock strechers that I use make the cuffs look wider than they really are but I found that they fit nicely. Living in a relatively cold climate, I tend to make my sock cuffs longer but these are perfect for cool summer nights spent by the fire outside. I can almost smell the marshmallows melting - YUM!


Many, many thanks to the lovely Zia for letting me test drive this pattern!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

To Fair or not to Fair...

That's the big question looming on my horizon today; to take a risk and do a few fairs (besides my stand-bys, the farmer's markets) or to play it safe and stay home and read.

I've done quite a few local fairs in my day; ranging from the blue haired grandma/ church basement events all the way to radical feminist, bitch slap you if you don't bitch slap me first events, I've done 'em all. Some have been surprisingly successful. Some have been dismal failures. Like the time that I took a risk on a new festival organized by a friend of mine - billed as the premier feminist event of the year, I thought it would be a cool opportunity. Disorganized was bad enough but I really didn't anticipate the lack of vendor concern that I would find. Here's the picture - I haul my stuff in (1 hour drive, one way), set up tables and jewelry displays and wait. And wait. No one showed up except the organizers. Ok, so they didn't do the advertising that they promised us they would. Things happen, especially during the first year of any event... Then,finally a few customers trickled in. Then - yes it gets better - he showed up. A guy with a tray of jewelry. He stood right in front of the few minglers/ customers that had showed up at my booth and every time, they picked up a piece of my jewelry, he asked them, 'how much is that one?". Then, because he was such a twat, uh, I mean competitive businessman, he offered one of his pieces for less 'because (you) really don't want to buy that,do you?', pointing at my piece. Ok, patience is a virtue. Took a deep breath and called one of the organizers over, pointing out that he wasn't a vendor and that he was actually scaring off the few customers that were there. Her response to me was 'well, what do you want me to do about it?'. Um, let's see... it's a closed event on private property - escort the dumbass off! I've paid for my booth; he hasn't paid you a thing. Think about it! After about an hour of this, I walked out.

Then there was the art fair that was really well organized and wonderful (profitable, too - some days). A 'shopper' decided that she was going to photograph all of the pieces of jewelry that she liked so she - get this - make them herself. She even had the nerve to hint that she might sell them, if they were nice enough. Yeah, some people were born with their heads firmly planted up their.... never mind. So with any fair, there's opportunity and there's risk. The trick is deciding which one will work for you as a vendor. It's all about fit. If the event fits your style, ethics and personality - then go for it. If it doesn't toss out the invitation and run away.

The reason that I'm so focused on this topic is that I'm debating joining up with Ravenswing this year. From the outside it looks good - the correspondence that I've had with their team has been polite, professional, personal (in a good way) and ...well, nice. I like nice. I thought that they were still doing monthly events so thought it best not to vend in the 'first one'. Then, I found out that it was a once-a-year thing. Hmmm that changes everything. I had planned on going as a shopper and feeling it out to see if it would a good fit and then (if it was) doing the next one, in June. Now, the decision is sort of 'do it (go on, you know you want to)' vs. 'danger, danger, run away' (actually, considering how nice they seem, I don't think that it would be that bad). I'm seriously considering setting up and taking the day as it comes. The problem is that I still have that little person sitting on my shoulder trying to talk me out of it. Once burned, twice shy, I suppose...

What about you? How do you choose events? How do you know if you'll 'fit' with the event? How do you know what merch. to bring? Have any of you been to this event (Ravenswing) before?
As my craft business has branched out away from just jewelry, it's becoming more of a thinking game when it comes to deciding what I should run up for an event. I'd love a little of your bloggi-goodness right about now - let me know how you figure this stuff out

You'll have my never-ending appreciation and affection, if you do ;)
As an added incentive, I bring you Pat