The Fin Tank

can't count for crap

2009-10-26T13:44:00.002-04:00

see how I suck?ok - so i have 5 days lefttoday we are going to talk about all the things that get in the way of blogging a countdownthere's work, and there's life.sigh...it's been a nutty October... filled with fun and not so fun and nowhere near enough time. I am COUNTING on November to be less busy, at least a bit. If it's not, I desperately fear the utter failure of the NANOWRIMO...sigh.

tickety

2009-09-21T13:21:00.002-04:00

So - in preparation for participating in NANOWRIMO (yes, i've FINALLY signed up) I'm pre-participating by counting down to halloween.Don't blame me - the good folks at Skull-a-Day sucked me in, and really, being me, how could i refuse? I'm still undecided as to what I'm going to count. (it's possible it will be meltdowns, breakdowns, and other various downs while trying to work, be mom, be wife,

broad side

2009-05-20T10:59:00.002-04:00

I'm researching barn door hardware.The garden shed / barn out back needs an update. It's an awesome little barn that up until a gardening makeover I had been taking for granted. Now that the weed-bed behind it has been turned into a very pretty little garden, I'm all about giving some much needed love to the shed.It wants a coat or two of red paint and white trim.It NEEDS a new set of doors.The

choose

2009-05-15T14:42:00.003-04:00

what's more fun:virtual school shopping for your daughter's first day of kindergartenora brand new lime green moleskine?what's more daunting:cleaning the house for a gathering on Saturday nightoranother baby shower on Sunday afternoon?what's more rewarding:doing an awesome job on a project about which you are passionate and hearing nothing from your bossorslapping some crap together on a project

in other news

2009-04-22T09:50:00.003-04:00

Our daughter - Miss FooFoo - is registered for Kindergarten. MT took all of the paperwork in yesterday before he started his work day. It feels good to know that it's all handled and that this portion of her school stuff is all tucked away.I still need to get her some elements of her uniform. Fortunately the school is much more generous with their uniform policy than when I was there, and navy

trying

2009-04-22T09:42:00.004-04:00

I am NOT a patient woman.I never have been, and likely never will be.I try - oh heaven knows I try.but land's sakes - - when I show you something 4 times. when I WALK. YOU. THROUGH. IT. every time you've done it, I expect you to freakin' learn. eventually.four quarters in a row now (this is a WHOLE YEAR, my friends) i've shown the same guy the same steps and three quarters in a row he's done it

slacks

2009-01-05T11:14:00.003-05:00

blogger... facebook... ymaili prefer trousers, but most often find myself in "pants" - mock-dockers (daren't call them chino's as they're not) or cords. except at home, where my fat ass is ALWAYS cloaked in "lounge pants" which is code for pajama bottoms.i suspect i may be experiencing some form of depression (you know, that "form" that is technically classified as denial, because depression

Zom-Pire

2008-12-10T16:02:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if I'm a zombie or a vampire but I'm definitely dealing with "back from the dead."I've been miserable sick for the better part of 5 weeks - in varying degrees. My darling husband and I are of the opinion that I've contracted an alien virus.Halloween was fun - heck Niftober was fun. We had a LOT of stuff planned, did all of it, and it broke me. By the time November rolled around (

faceless

2008-09-02T11:27:00.003-04:00

the weekend was a blur. a pleasant blur, but a blur nonetheless.in the process of all the doings and goings on over the weekend I have misplaced my makeup bag. granted, I didn't start looking for it until some ridiculous hour this morning, while half asleep, but the bottom line is that I ended up facing the first day of work, after a long weekend, without a stitch of makeup on my face.needless

touche

2008-08-18T22:43:00.001-04:00

mama: baby, if you EVER willingly do anything that you KNOW could put your life at risk, you will be GROUNDEDbaby: from what?mama: from EVERYTHINGbaby: even eating?

resurgent

2008-08-01T13:23:00.003-04:00

i've been reminded lately that i'm a romantic dreamer. certainly there are people in the world who would belly-laugh to think that i needed to be reminded of this, but i have spent so very much time putting that girl away in cupboards, that i have - or i should say, HAD - effectively erased her from my own consiousness.well over a decade ago my heart was broken. compound fracture. shattered.i

mortal uh tea

2008-07-31T12:14:00.004-04:00

it's a tea with milk afternoon. if Kiernan still haunts me this will probably make him laugh at the old woman i've become, but really... its blasted cold in the office and i'm feeling pensive. if i had a lap cat and some knitting to do, i'd be all set.i'm not sure if today's tea really counts as old woman tea though... in spite of the milk, it's not any boring old tea, but some highly spiced

found... nearly

2008-07-31T07:57:00.003-04:00

photo used with the kind permission of the photographer, Mark Moore

girlier or sillier

2008-07-28T12:20:00.002-04:00

something.the story?this past weekend a memory hit me clear as blazes.i'm me, but younger (of course, it's a memory, hell0...) in bloomers and a chemise. my corset, underskirt, hoop, bumroll, overskirt, bodice - all balled up somwhere, maybe in a pile next to me, maybe not. i know that i have my hat (my gloves are in it, it is not on my head) and probably some other bits with me. the sun is

silly girl

2008-07-25T08:32:00.003-04:00

i watched Becoming Jane last night.alone. while my husband was at work. during girl week.WHAT kind of foolish am I...i'm not usually prone to swooning, now that I'm a wife and mother and corporate monkey.i'm not usually given to flights of fancy...and yet, i find myself still heart-broken at the practical good-byeOF COURSE i know it was the smartest thing she could do - - for EACH of them.OF

getting my toes wet

2008-07-08T09:07:00.002-04:00

today i have decided that i am going to dedicate some of my time to my new job. oh sure, i'm still buried in my old job (the one that i was supposed to be DONE with by june 2nd) but i've had it with not doing anything good/fun/meaningful.it's neat because i'm "making contacts" with people i see every day, but have never had the opportunity to work with... and the sad matter of fact in this

Natsubate

2008-07-07T14:15:00.002-04:00

no - it's nothing naughty. it's Japanese for "summer fatigue".i suffer it every year... some worse than others. basically, it means that just about every summer, for a few weeks (at least) i'm right there among the ranks of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers. those of you who know me KNOW that i'm not a sleeper... sleep is for the weak, rest is for the dead...and yet, this past couple of

funk

2008-07-01T14:17:00.003-04:00

i've been out of whack today.too many things happening all at the same time, none of them under control, and a good heaping dose of feeling in the middle. all of this has joined forces to render me funked.i keep trying to climb out of things, but find myself thwarted... i get the voice-mail. i get the broken connection. i get the blues.i keep hoping it's hormonal, and that tomorrow when I wake

Daring Embarrassment

2008-06-29T13:34:00.003-04:00

EDIT:: agonizingly blurry photo of my finished braidand not so blurry, but equally tasty - the pinwheels.I filled them with home-made cherry filing, and iced them with an almond hinted simple glaze.we very much enjoyed the chomping of these...I got a phone call yesterday morning. My mom's eldest brother passed away. She needed family and love and a good strong shoulder, so I spent a good part

pseudo tagged by pinkdot

2008-06-28T00:56:00.005-04:00

she did this. i liked it.i tried it(took a LONG time to find photos whose titles answered the questions)so i cheated a little, but I wanted it to make sense.Here's what you do:type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search. using only the first page, choose an image. copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker over at FD’s image maker. The Questions:What is your

meet otto

2008-06-27T23:32:00.004-04:00

last friday elliot was caught in the middle of a 5 car pile upin the middle of a construction zonein the middle of a very busy interstate(though I don't know how they can call it that since it doesn't cross any state lines)this is how he came out of it:i have spent the better part of the last week "working" with my insurance company (Farmers) in an attempt to get some idea of what is going on,

fluff and nonsense

2008-06-03T09:03:00.002-04:00

it's been too long since i've logged in to say - more or less - nothing.it's not that life is boring. it's just that i feel like it's just a normal (not necessarily) boring life - the kind that most folk have. i'm feeling very ordinary. and not even in a bad way.i'm going through some changes at work - - a new position in my same company, in my same department. it's a growth opportunity, and

Daring Baker April - Chickie Pops

2008-04-28T09:51:00.007-04:00

Ok - Really - these are cheescake pops - DELICIOUS and (although time consuming, yet easy). This month I was finally challenged to bake in a water bath (not being a fan of flan, or brulee, or any such such, I've never really had much reason for a water bath).At any rate - on with the show: This is finally in the pan. Because I made a half a batch (this month's challenge happened the same weekend

Daring Baker March - Perfect Party Cake

2008-04-01T10:56:00.002-04:00

A day late.or twoand THIS is all that was left. honestly.i turned my back and before the frosting, before the fruit, she was at it.it was good...belive me.and if you don't believe me -ask my daughter, the chomper

FLAKEY air-head Baker

2008-03-03T14:50:00.003-05:00

I had this stuff done on the 27th and totallly forgot to post.February's Daring Bakers challenge was Julia Child's French Bread8+ hours for three loaves of very nice tasty bread (that didn't have as many gaping holes as I would have liked) but BOY isn't it pretty?

Down with Winter

2008-02-19T13:09:00.002-05:00

I am officially done.I don't want any more cold and grey.I have completely steeped myself in hot tea (and drowned my sorrows in almond cookies) and I don't want any more.Bring on the sunshine and warmth - and yes, even the sloggy wetness that is spring.SOMEONE - threaten me with the promise of bathing suit season to awaken my urgency in this pursuit of the ever-elusive "healthy lifestyle."I want

as an aside

2008-02-05T14:26:00.000-05:00

just looked back at my sweeney todd postand it occurred to methat johnny depp has a very beautiful skull.

blu

2008-02-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

lost a friend over the weekenda precious light, too soon snuffedmy heart is heavyand i'm screaming-at-the-soul angry with himand i'm tired of knowing too many deadstill too sad for many words.

my january daring baking

2008-01-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

I LOVE lemon meringue pie. It's absolutely KILLNG me that I haven't eaten it yet, but I'm waiting for MT to get home. I didn't like making the crust at all - - i'm not used to using butter in my pie crust, and mixing it in the food processor didn't work the way i thought it would (the Barefoot Contessa makes it look so easy). Still, I'm thinking it's going to taste great - - i hope the butter

the approach

2008-01-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

my birthday is coming.it's a "nine"which is right on par with the "fives" for bad birthdays.unlike most of the rest of the world, i embrace the decades, as they have always felt, to me, like a fresh start on a new chapter.i came across this song in my iTunes and it made me smile. i think i have the lyrics right.it's taking myself too seriously, of course, but isn't that what approaching birthdays

and a li'ol of the Mr. Todd dunnit hurt much neevah...

2008-01-08T14:29:00.000-05:00

oh yeah - - and we saw Sweeney Todd the demon barber of Fleet Street on Sunday to boot.And oh, but doesn't a little Johnny Depp (and a dash of Alan Rickman) do a girl's heart a world of good?I'm ridiculously drunk on blinkety blink blink....

nothing's broken but can't be fixed...

2008-01-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

i have been BLUE lately.just miserable unhappy sad and down.i've been blaming it on post-holiday-stress-disorderi've been blaming it on the weatheri've been ridiculousno one and nothing to blame it on but meGod love him, my husband bought me the Marie Antoinette soundtrack.There are songs in here that - for a wild-child of the 80's - are an actual balm for the soul.(yes, for me - the AntGirl -

Bad bad fin

2007-12-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

i'm too on vacation.i haven't done anything (including my daring bakers challenge - - but I think i'm going to apologize for that one beg clemency and move on).the house is only barely livable.i think we're on the verge of eating the pets - - or resorting to cannibalism. I'm worried for my husband, since there is more of him, with less fat, and well, there are two girls in the house... majority

Fa La La Flllt...

2007-12-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

Long days at work prevent me from enjoying the long evenings of the approaching winter.(i'm a die hard - - regardless of the freezing and whatnot, it is Autumn until the 21st, dammit)I have a long list, as well, of things to do and make and wrap. I'm fortunate that this year it doesn't (yet) include a long list of "things to attend" as well. I'm about out of attend-tion right now. I'm looking

should be...

2007-11-28T09:48:00.000-05:00

- wrapping the presents i do have.- making presents still on my list.- making a list of the other stuff I still need to get.- deciding what to put on the list of stuff that I still need to get.- having some breakfast before my brain melts.

New Daring Baker

2007-11-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

I'm a newbie to the Daring Bakers - - this month, my first month - - and a great experiment with Tender Potato Bread. I've been baking since I was knee-high, and love it. I grew up on home baked bread (didn't know from WonderBread until my friend introduced me - - i'm still not a fan). This summer I decided that our "main loaf" of bread in the house - at all times - would be home made. And yet,

oh - and an update

2007-11-15T09:13:00.000-05:00

i got my bulbs in the ground. we had a decent day last saturday. the special added bonus was that the ones that i thought were bound to be mostly wrecked, actually turned out to be mostly ok. so i planted them too. if only i would have had just a leeeetle more gumption - - i would have taken down the purple halloween lights.that has to happen this week. while it's not frigid outside. so the

swingin' with monkeys

2007-11-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

my friend belle sent me an inter-office mailer this week.inside is a card with a photo of a girl on a swing with a chimp and a quote from HDT -"There is no remedy for love but to love."it's nice.it makes me think of "Love is love's reward."simple.reminders about what my heart is about... and has been, all along.she's good that way.

where did my autumn go?

2007-11-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

ok - so one day it's halloween, and i turn around and the next thing i know i'm in the living room with a blanket on my lap and debating what to bake to help keep the house warm.it's not even 40 degrees outside. WHAT is up with this?i don't have my bulbs in the ground.which means freezing my fingers in wretched cold dirt to get them all nestled in for their long winter's nap. pleh.and Christmas

by the bye

2007-10-24T09:39:00.000-04:00

my Wii age = 75of course, i believe this is 75 in "gamer years" which puts me at probably about 25.and i'm good with thatno - really - - they 'figure' your age based on your ability to return virtual tennis balls, hit a virtual baseball, and bowling. it's all about timing and aim - -with the Wii-stickif boxing were included in their fitness test, i'd probably be 90.

boxing

2007-10-23T12:16:00.000-04:00

i have been beaten up by our Wii.we've had it for a while - - maybe almost a month now. but mostly i've been doing things like bowling, and Zelda, and a whole lot of watching (my favorite video game activity). on Sunday, though, miss foo asked me to play the boxing game. and i did - and had a blast - for three rounds. after that i was (out of shape) panting and tired. it felt like a good

Heat and Haunt

2007-10-09T08:23:00.000-04:00

Dang but it was hot this past weekend.Our local community held their apple/harvest festival, and basically it was a slew of sweaty, (mostly) smoking folk crowding the streets, looking at "crafts" and eating absolute JUNK. Apart from the smoking part, that included me, too. I'm quite certain my arteries still haven't forgiven me for the elephant ear. Oh, and we went through the spook house too - -

in training...

2007-10-04T12:48:00.000-04:00

from a short conversation with my 3 year old daughterme: FooFoo - what is Hallowe'en for?FF: Scarin' kids.ah yes, my friends, it's going to be a great lifetime...

isn't it romantic

2007-10-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

dunno what it is but there is something about autumn that gets my romance all up and alert. i spend the time fantasizing about hayrides and cool nighttime hand in hand walks, and things that go bump in the night bumping me into the protective arms of my beloved.funny bit is that it wasn't until i was married that i had an actual grown-up like boyfriend during this time of year (no, i never went

too much to ask

2007-09-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

i want to spend my days at home with my daughter. i am to the point of totally prepared to embrace the June Cleaver lifestyle.i don't like the commutei don't like the officei don't even overly like the workthe salary - i can't complain about.i wonder all the time how i could force the company to have me on a purely telecommute basis.i don't need to be here. people don't really notice whether i

4 Hours...

2007-09-21T10:24:00.000-04:00

my husband has me reading "the 4 hour work week", actually listening to it on CD. it's an alternative to my morning NPR... i'm good with it.the most valuable lesson so far has been a reminder of a rule that i used to practice avidly:Focus on improving what you do well, instead of trying to fix what you do not do well.When i was young - - actually until i became a drone of corporate america, i

eternal

2007-09-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

i am attending a wedding and a christening this weekend.it is very exciting to be sharing in the joyous events of friends and family. celebrating their milestones with them.pausing to think, my synthetic realization is that neither of the women thought their respective events would happen. certainly, neither of them seemed to have lost hope... but it's fair to say these happinesses took each by

not so levititious

2007-09-20T17:38:00.001-04:00

=======================================:::UPDATE:::i owe all of your a collective quarter. i had to call my husband and ask him when he was coming home to have dinner with us. no, it wasn't some obscene hour of 'too-late-to-eat' - i just really wanted to have what we had for dinner, i started it earlier than i usually do, and it was done and making the house smell gorgeous and MT (my husband)

Levity

2007-09-20T17:35:00.000-04:00

a snippit from last night's conversation:baby: be very careful, it's very delicatedmama: delicated?daddy: that's what she said. she's been listening to the president.

Piratically practical

2007-09-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

went to Space Pirate to fathom me name...henceforth i be:Admiral fin the Boldly Rebellious the scurvy ratses here in office-worrld (here there indeed be dragons) aren't savvy to the pirate day festivities an' i'm jawwin all on me lonesome.i reckon that does make me boldly rebellious - - for least sake on this here ship...

hainted holler...

2007-09-18T13:34:00.000-04:00

while using television as background noise this weekend, i happened upon this commentary:"... a place called 'hainted holler' which translated would be 'haunted holler'..."no.it's not nice for me to be amused, but i can't always be nice, now, can i?

black-nail the pirate

2007-09-14T12:16:00.000-04:00

my fingernails have grown long enough to wear black nail polish without looking more like rotten stumps than elegant fingernails.i'm not a pirate.that's my tea mug up there.so yeah, i have the black polish on - - mostly.i put on the cheap stuff, in bed, last night because i couldn't be bothered to go downstairs and get the good stuffapparently i sleep too hard on my nailswhen i woke up this

Fair Warning

2007-09-13T12:43:00.000-04:00

You have one week to prepare for International Talk Like a Pirate Day.If you find that you can dress yourself (convincingly) like this - bully! If you find that you DO dress like this - please send me the photo (or a link to it).Happy pirate day.

O! Bliss...

2007-09-11T13:11:00.000-04:00

WHAT a gorgeous day. there is autumn in the air. and as Moose A Moose says... I feel like I'm falling for fall.when belle and i went for our walk today, i felt like i could have just kept going.in the meantime, i'm just working on swaps.

home sweet home...

2007-09-10T10:38:00.000-04:00

we're back from the Sans Souci Euro Inn in New Buffalo MI.it was ok... nicer than ok, but i feel somewhat robbed.the website mentions fisherman's cottages. plural. what they offer is two halves of a duplex.the website shows photos of a very pretty little lake - - it's mucky/murky.the nice lady on the phone who set up my reservation said pets were welcome - we found out they only mean dogs (cats,

Oh the Gratification of it all...

2007-09-07T10:01:00.000-04:00

my anniversary gift from my husband. we have matching ones. i cannot wait to register him, train him, and get love-nudges through the days....and i've reinstated my ball at the office. a while back i decided that a yoga ball (instead of a desk chair) would be beneficial for my posture and a ward against neck/shoulder/back/wrist pain. it worked a charm, i'll have you know (not to mention how

Fruit, Flowers, and Appliances

2007-09-06T11:32:00.000-04:00

my current lolcat fave. anywho - - Today is our fourth anniversary. Hallmark says that traditionally I should be expecting fruit and flowers, and that the modern me can look forward to appliances. Traditionally romantic - but i'm a practical girl. Bring on the electro-mechanical goodness!For my part, I'm "hosting" the get-away weekend. I'd love to tell y'all where we're going, but the thing is,

GAME SHOW

2007-08-30T12:28:00.000-04:00

h: can you set aside some clothes for the baby tomorroww: sure, do you forget?h: well, that and there's so much in there, it's like a gameshoww: giggle, snort, cackle, laugh, giggle, snort, guffaw

so here's the thing...

2007-08-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

i can go to lolcats and ichc online, at work.i cannot access NPR streaming online at work.what does this say about my company's access nazis?in ur firewalljackin' ur access

meh

2007-08-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

UPDATE::: see below to see what really happenedtemp at last check99.7headachefrom throbbing to splitting within the past half hourleft to do todaywork (or at least leave the impression that i do)1 hour commute (to be interrupted by refueling break)post office to drop the recently viewed netflixmow the lawn (hopefully NOT to be interrupted by refueling break)collect the childmake dinner (no, i

better early than...

2007-08-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

my husband gave me the Make: Halloween issue last night. as an early anniversary giftthere's some really fun stuff in here -- for each of us.it's JUST what I needed to get my creativity directed in that direction.woohoo!!!

antarctica

2007-08-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

for pete's sake - it gets hot outside and my office goes arctic.i'm FREEZING - - and OH so glad i thought to wear a long sleeved shirt... if only i had a jacket to go over it.and yeah, it's going to suck THAT BAD when i have to go outside into 90+ degree weather to go home. thank heaven it's friday and i don't have to face this again tomorrow.too cold to write more - fingers are frozen

weenie

2007-08-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

so i finished the scarf last nightand i am in a very halloweeney frame of mind.i KNOW that i should be teaching myself how to crochet so that i can make the matching hat.i am also working, however, on the premise that she will not be needing hat and scarf until well after the 29th of September - - which is when i intend to start installing halloween at earthburgbetween then and now i have to find

bizzy bee

2007-08-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

getting a lot done none of it for halloweenswimming in a sea of craftsswapping like a madwomanmy current project is another for my little girla scarf firstthen i teach myself to crochet so i can make her a hatin between i'll be making some halloween stuff for swappingand some for home too -i'm trying to promise myself that i'll spend NO more time swappingthan I spend on things for family and

oooh...

2007-08-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

further evidence

2007-08-16T08:16:00.001-04:00

of my resurging craftinesslest you think the apple falls far from the tree, this is the baby's work(i'm trying to figure out how to immortalize it in fabric)and as a final aside. my space bar squeaks when I tap it. i really enjoy the somewhat soft clickiness of typing quickly and hearing my keystrokes as i move along the page, but there's something eerie and unnerving about a slight squeak

hubby-free day three

2007-08-15T09:15:00.000-04:00

corrections - the mess on the living room floor is not entirely sponsored by my dear and darling. he probably doesn't even support it (as i Do Not support it) and something something must be done about the child's slovenly habitshusband is NOT the source of all delivery orders. last night's dinner (of baked mosta and cinnamon sticks was entirely my decision)laundry still does not do itself, even

absolutely must

2007-08-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

::: Updates :::start taking photos ::: see above i have two skullies kicking around my dining room table that have to be snapped before i can gift them. also made a fairly adorable little pink stuffed thing (that my daughter calls a bunny - which has inspired her demand for a yellow bunny of her own)purchase more envelopes ::: done!i love the sleek bubble mailers - - particularly in orange. i

the last 30

2007-08-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

i always hate the last 30 minutes of my work day.it's even worse on a friday.i mean, sure, it's ok if i'm working my fingers down on a project and look up and realise that i only have 30 minutes left, but in general, by the time the last 30 of a friday roll around, i'm just waiting for the clock to run down.one of the guys my husband works with used to work at a place where the last 4 hours of

drag a comb across my head...

2007-08-10T09:26:00.000-04:00

<<>>hee hee heei have little tiny short hairs.i can't even FEEL them unless I reach up i can see them thoughand while they're not long enough to get into my mouth when i eatit feels like they willand freaks me outkind of.no one at work has noticed yet.granted, i haven't left my cell and walked the hallat least not since the rest of the drones have arrivedi like it - - my secret - - no one knowing

Judy Blume at the Post Office

2007-08-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

isn't it something how a phrase like "the forever stamp" resonates in one's mind? i know i'm not the only 30 something woman who has read the book. anywho...

teetering

2007-08-08T11:01:00.000-04:00

i must be insane.i just signed up for SwapBot (thanks to Tron) and while i only applied to 3 swaps, i'm already wishing i were more creative. still... it's a way to force myself to be motivated against some of the inspirated i have inside me.this, i say, knowing full well that I have a SLEW of halloween stuff to be working on.and some skullsand a princess dress for my daughterand a pony

thanksgiving morning

2007-08-07T09:42:00.000-04:00

not the national holidaybut a morning of giving thanks, is all- thanks to francey pants for my tag. mmm.- thanks to pinkey pants (te he) for the reminder of what's really important in this world - with magnets!- thanks to my man for accepting me broken- thanks to my baby for telling me that I can't be a bonehead because I'm her mama- thanks to the weak but persevering layer of concrete separating

my new passion...

2007-08-03T08:16:00.000-04:00

::: Update :::I completed two - one for my daughter one for my daughter's godfather's girl. they are cute, but were difficult to sew with the fabric I found. Since then, I've come across the appropriate material (at target, of all places, disguised as dollar bin dish-towels). There are more in the works, now that I have the proper materials.=======================================...is collecting

if you can't say something nice...

2007-08-01T14:44:00.000-04:00

i'm quiet today.that's all

dream husband

2007-07-30T10:06:00.000-04:00

ok - let's face it - i've been having a crap couple of weeks. a lot of my time - especially work time - has been clouded over by a general malaise that makes me weepy at best. i can't even describe my worst, lately. so - what's a husband to do? have a front porch full of saturday morning surprise brown mary-jane crocs to replace the worn-to-broken brown leather mary-janes that went EVERYWHERE

Free Lance

2007-07-27T11:53:00.001-04:00

it's time for me to figure out how to go it on my owni want to be a produceri just mean that I want to be a person who produces deliverablesi mean, i want to make thingsuseful thingsand i want to make a living doing thisbecause the living i'm making right now is killing me

baby face and balderdash

2007-07-24T14:34:00.000-04:00

babies really don't always make the cutest faces today, though, i realised that even a crying baby is more fun than what i do for a living. i'm pretty sure that's one of the universal indicators that it's time to look for a new job.the way in this morning was hell. someone sent out a memo to all the shouldn't-have-ever-been-given-a-licenseidiots out there advising them that in front of the

Boo too

2007-07-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

ok - here's the thing.i went to a school with a haunted residence hall... specifically the bathroom on the fourth floor.Siena Heights University to be specific... Ledwidge hall, exactly.Whenever I look this place up on Haunted America type sites, i keep finding the same reference to a room in Archangels hall, room 211, where there were purportedly, once upon a time, haunted eyes over a section of

comforts

2007-07-23T13:47:00.000-04:00

new socks - especially if they are cushilya good GOOD cup of teathoughts of autumn (and hallowe'en)a box in the mail that i didn't have to pay forlaughing out loud regardless of my location"i love you, mama."warm (but not hot) sunshiney blue sky daysletters from friendsthe smell of new leather goodsthismy cat at my feet, purringthe bunny, when she doesn't pee on me

as an aside

2007-07-19T14:51:00.001-04:00

a 15 or so years ago version of me is interning in my department this summershe's blonde and thin and chipper and cutei don't hate her... much as some folks might think i might... but i'll tell you this for freeshe can stop chirping her happiness all over the office behind me (shared wall) any time now if she wants to maintain the use of her tongue.i'm just sayin'

boo... ...eek

2007-07-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

I was going to babble on about who knows what.Honestly, when I saw this (courtesy of MightyGoods) i lost all sense of sense and this was all i could think about. It's sick and wrong, I know... but there it is at the top of my head... making me miserable with scary clown thoughts... and visions of wearing this to all the haunted houses this autumn.see... sick and wrong.my radio is fading out of

Recovery and Random

2007-07-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

I'm doing better today. Thank you.I have housework to do. Lots of it:- laundry- dishes- vacuuming- dusting- sweeping - and mopping- - - MOVING THE CARDBOARD BOXES OUT OF EVERY CORNER OF EVERY ROOM- random tidying- packing up donations (LOTS of donations)add to that my overwhelming desire to be baking something (anything) and it adds up to agony.there aren't enough hours in my week to work AND

hangover

2007-07-17T13:25:00.000-04:00

I had too much fun over the weekend.Seriously.yesterday I woke up with a screaming headache.no. don't blame it on the weather change.i'd prefer to think i just had TOO DARNED much fun.

by the way...

2007-07-13T14:23:00.000-04:00

i think blogger hasn't undergone daylight savings time... or something.all of my posts are showing that they were posted an hour earlier than they really were.oh - and in spite of what others might have to say about it,Carnivale season 2 is really good.

somebody throw a black cat at me.

2007-07-13T13:32:00.000-04:00

not really.i'm actually pretty asuperstitious.and if anything that magic 7-7-7 day we had last week taught me a thing or two about having expectations based on the date... it sucked for us. all around.there IS a part of me who feels a lot like i should be visiting Emily today, though.I haven't yet. I will. I'm going to need some new stationery soon anyway.Speaking of the strange:i have my

it's all MonkeyButt to me

2007-07-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

mostly this means that the day is doing its own thing...i'll be able, i suppose, to join in again at some later time, but for right now, i'm just bumbling through and trying to appear like i have even the slightest idea of what's going on.in a half an hour i'm walking around the block (1.29 miles) with my friend belle.we'll probably talk about marriage and homes and crap like that. the good

I am a Rock...

2007-07-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

Recently i've written that I am not a joiner.I think there's more. Fact is - I'm an arm's-lengther.I've had more than one friend advise me (just this year) that they feel very much on the periphery of my life. I don't use the term "friend" loosely either. These are people about whom I have used the words LOVE and SISTER and DEAR and CHERISHED.I've been fortunate, I guess, in that many of my

a Whole New Day

2007-07-11T08:34:00.000-04:00

We saw Hairspray last night.Having been a fan of the original, I was skeptical at first.I laughed my tail off. It's a good movie.We took Foo. She loved it too. She was kinda dancing in her seat, but only kinda.It was her first "in the theater" experience. She was wowed.I guess I'm going to have to give up my issues with the theater... at least for a while.On the drive home my husband and I

maybe Evil, hardly Genious

2007-07-10T12:41:00.000-04:00

:: Update::This post has been edited for the sake of brevity.PrologueI am a snoop and a would-be detective.For the most part I'm too selfish, too egocentric to be bothered by things that happen without me and as for what people say about me, i usually just let it go.The SetupA week ago, or two, i found out that I was being uninvited to a blog that I was lead to believe didn't exist.The Self

Evil IMDB

2007-07-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

So, i was tripping through IMDB and did my regular check on Shantaram, and out of "boredom" i clicked on mr. Depp to see what else he's been up to, and LO! I found Sweeny Todd.The cast list is missing only one of my "in this movie boyfriends" (well, maybe a couple from the WHOLE list, but only one from the short list).Not like i ever go to the movies. i'm not a fan of dark rooms full of

Oh How I Miss...

2007-07-06T08:34:00.000-04:00

::: Update :::I was drastically outbid.I flat out refuse to pay more than $75 for even the most notorious of nostalgia items.Particularly for an alarm clock.Maybe next time.:: UPDATE ::I just placed a bid on this on e-bay.wish me luck.i could just cry......my singing chicken alarm clock.I think it might have been called the "rock n roll chicken alarm clock".In the most rockin' annoying voice he

scoop

2007-07-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

ok.so the thing is, the surgery beat me up.and the recovery made me lazy.since june 1st, i haven't wanted to work on anything - - well, at least nothing indoors. my garden is pretty. if i weren't so ham-handed with the camera, i would have included a photo. they're all crap.i'm on (and now off) my third course of 'kicks-your-ass-a-cin' this one is compounded and goes (went) up my nose via

My (delayed) Questions from Francey Pants

2007-05-25T12:18:00.001-04:00

1. What job would you never, under any circumstances, consider taking?Taste tester at a seafood restaurant.2. What do you do when you can't sleep?I make alphabetical lists of things in categories (one man Scattergories, i suppose).Animals, Flowers/Plants, Cities, people (famous or otherwise), Pet Names...3. Who do you admire?My daughter for her innocent eyes, my mother for her wise ones.4. What

begin::

2007-05-11T11:29:00.000-04:00

I received an envelope today with two photos of me inside... both from a few years ago, office Halloween. I think my fingers were thinner back then. I decline to comment on the rest of me. The best part though, is the clown red wig - - it's not afro, it's a nice little Louise Brooks cut, but it's that plastic red that i've always (not so secretly) wanted to dye my hair.My Francey Pants mentioned

Update - - too long delayed

2007-05-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

The antibiotics didn't work.I don't have a concha bullosa in my snout.There is no real level of assuredness as to what is causing the foul tastes and smells.I will, however, be having sinus surgery (1 June).The doc really needs to remove the infection (which can only be facilitated surgically)While he's in there, he will be fixing my deviated septum, opening up my right maxillary sinus, and

Pillow Talk - - or - - channelling maggie mason

2007-04-11T08:38:00.000-04:00

me: I don't know why they named it Avelox, Moxifloxacin is such a cute namehim: forget cute, they should call it what it is and name it KickYourAss-acin

reflection

2007-04-02T12:38:00.000-04:00

i keep thinking back to when i was a person of interest.trying to recall what it was that made me most interesting... desperately afraid that it was only an inflated sense of my self-worth and the fact that i was, for all intents and purposes, a hermit... who liked to make papercrafts.i think i took better care of my skin then too.i'd like to say i took better care of my body, but that would be a

eye numbing

2007-03-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

i am loathe to ever admit to being bored at work. around here, most people think that means you don't have anything to do. i don't think there are more than a handful of folk who understand that what it REALLY means is that you don't have anything interesting to do. i've been plugging away, for two weeks, on some painfully boring, cookie-cutter, have to do the same thing every month stuff.

Back on the Wagon

2007-03-19T13:15:00.001-04:00

I'm at it again - - spring is shouldering its way onto the calendar and into my thoughts, and I'm looking at myself in the mirror thinking, I can't go out in summer clothes looking like THIS.So here I am, again, tracking my food and trying to figure out what's going to inspire me to exercise. Watching my eating really helps. So does drinking gallons of water every day (and cutting WAY back on