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...quite the vast handmade jewelry collection. One of the artists at my mother's shop came in and I was working on the lighting fixtures for her space. She gifted me with a gorgeous lavender bead necklace - just because (she told me to pick something - anything from her case - and not to take earrings (too inexpensive in her mind).
I've also got two new crocheted bead work chokers from one of the other artists that I bought at the sidewalk sale in July (and that she knocked off a lot more money because I was the one buying them).
The perks of being the shop's "handywoman." I have more unique, hand-made jewelry.
At lunch we discussed the steps to fixing up my house. And I think if I do the legwork to get it all figured out my mom might help with the costs. So hopefully I will be able to install new (doublepaned) glass windows in the house in the spring. Also repair the walls an the living room and rip out the in-wall air con unit I haven't turned on for three years (fans have kept me pretty comfortable). After the windows that NEED replacing (since a couple of them leak), I can turn my attention to the floors and then re-do the whole kitchen. It really is a tearout kitchen. And if I can open up the wall a teeny bit between the kitchen and the living room by changing where the stove and refrigerator are I will do it (although it might not be possible - depends on where the loadbearing wall is)
After lunch I assisted my mother in washing their dog. He'd rolled in organic compost (old manure mixed with dirt) and smelled pretty horrible for a couple of days (I love how they save the fun stuff for when they know they are going to see me). He continues to be lovably off-the-wall neurotic (we laughed at his need to turn himself around before going anywhere in the house. Seeing him back up stairs because he can't face going up them frontways is still pretty giggle-worthy). At least now he is clean.
I've also got two new crocheted bead work chokers from one of the other artists that I bought at the sidewalk sale in July (and that she knocked off a lot more money because I was the one buying them).
The perks of being the shop's "handywoman." I have more unique, hand-made jewelry.
At lunch we discussed the steps to fixing up my house. And I think if I do the legwork to get it all figured out my mom might help with the costs. So hopefully I will be able to install new (doublepaned) glass windows in the house in the spring. Also repair the walls an the living room and rip out the in-wall air con unit I haven't turned on for three years (fans have kept me pretty comfortable). After the windows that NEED replacing (since a couple of them leak), I can turn my attention to the floors and then re-do the whole kitchen. It really is a tearout kitchen. And if I can open up the wall a teeny bit between the kitchen and the living room by changing where the stove and refrigerator are I will do it (although it might not be possible - depends on where the loadbearing wall is)
After lunch I assisted my mother in washing their dog. He'd rolled in organic compost (old manure mixed with dirt) and smelled pretty horrible for a couple of days (I love how they save the fun stuff for when they know they are going to see me). He continues to be lovably off-the-wall neurotic (we laughed at his need to turn himself around before going anywhere in the house. Seeing him back up stairs because he can't face going up them frontways is still pretty giggle-worthy). At least now he is clean.
...We're so surprised.
Max has taken to turning himself around and backing up while moving to a different part of the same room. And more times than not he gets tangled up in himself because he won't get out of his own way.
Oh, Max. You are such a loveable, loving doofus.
Saw my folks for lunch. They're both doing well - we discussed my vacation and their travel to Rochester, NY to see friends and family (apparently in HS my dad was known for running fast, always being late for school, and being smart. Not surprised. My Mom also found out his HS nickname but he would not let her tell me), and Max's time spent with my brother where he whined all night. Well, yeah, he's only been away from home once before since my folks brought him home, and my brother wanted him to settle in a New Place that smelled like Another Dog? Oy. My brother is not SMRT sometimes. He should have stayed at my folks' house overnight instead of moving Max.
My Dad is still planning to go golfing with his brother and cousin(s) in October. But neither my mom nor I have faith that if Cousin R is making the arrangements (you're *sure* R knows he's supposed to find you all somewhere to stay? Absolutely positive? Really?) that they will be able to find a place at this late date. But that is all up to R. R, who has a habit of monologue-ing in his broad NJ accent (his funniest, that horrifies his daughter and makes his son laugh is he is going to create and install an ATM machine (Afterlife Teller Machine) as his headstone that has a video interface so he can dispense their inheritance to his kids in multiples of $20. And he can harangue them from the grave "You! We never see you unless you want money! You want a hundred bucks? Here - here's forty. Come back next week and visit maybe I'll give you a hundred!" or "What - back again already? Its only been two days - what did you do with the last money I gave you?" Yeah, Cousin R is a riot - unless you're one of his kids, I suppose).
Ah well. Day off tomorrow. ♥
Max has taken to turning himself around and backing up while moving to a different part of the same room. And more times than not he gets tangled up in himself because he won't get out of his own way.
Oh, Max. You are such a loveable, loving doofus.
Saw my folks for lunch. They're both doing well - we discussed my vacation and their travel to Rochester, NY to see friends and family (apparently in HS my dad was known for running fast, always being late for school, and being smart. Not surprised. My Mom also found out his HS nickname but he would not let her tell me), and Max's time spent with my brother where he whined all night. Well, yeah, he's only been away from home once before since my folks brought him home, and my brother wanted him to settle in a New Place that smelled like Another Dog? Oy. My brother is not SMRT sometimes. He should have stayed at my folks' house overnight instead of moving Max.
My Dad is still planning to go golfing with his brother and cousin(s) in October. But neither my mom nor I have faith that if Cousin R is making the arrangements (you're *sure* R knows he's supposed to find you all somewhere to stay? Absolutely positive? Really?) that they will be able to find a place at this late date. But that is all up to R. R, who has a habit of monologue-ing in his broad NJ accent (his funniest, that horrifies his daughter and makes his son laugh is he is going to create and install an ATM machine (Afterlife Teller Machine) as his headstone that has a video interface so he can dispense their inheritance to his kids in multiples of $20. And he can harangue them from the grave "You! We never see you unless you want money! You want a hundred bucks? Here - here's forty. Come back next week and visit maybe I'll give you a hundred!" or "What - back again already? Its only been two days - what did you do with the last money I gave you?" Yeah, Cousin R is a riot - unless you're one of his kids, I suppose).
Ah well. Day off tomorrow. ♥
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This evening I was doing basic errands and dropped by BestBuy to pick up a memory card for my camera. The BestBuy clerk that helped me obviously had a set "thing" to promote and sort of let it unwind as he scanned my item.
"Would you like to open a BestBuy credit card?"
"...No. ...Thank you."
"Really? Its really fast, and who couldn't use another credit card?" (At this point this young man (teenagers!) smiled winningly, but had the under thread of joking in his voice.)
"Me. I don't need another credit card. ...Thanks, though."
"Isn't that what you are supposed to do? For credit? Open up a bunch of credit cards all at once?"
o.O "Um. No. Really really not."
We had a whole conversation about how *BAD* that advice was, and I found myself leaving him with this last thought "Kid, take it from someone who is twice as old as you. That is a bad bad bad idea."
How the HELL did I get to be this old? That I am TWICE as OLD as the BestBuy clerk? Likely I am MORE than double his age - he didn't look older than about fifteen, so it was entirely likely he was actually about eighteen.
Then I went to my parent's house so my dad could set my laptop up on his wireless. He's got it rigged up with major security levels (which okay, one, he lives in a fairly RURAL area. I doubt they wouldn't actually SEE anyone trying to steal their bandwidth, because it isn't like the wireless actually covers the whole house! Someone would have to be sitting AT their front door to be able to use it, be on the system AND have the password.
Anyway, I went over to do that so when they go away on Wednesday I can work from their house Wednesday and Thursday as I house/dog sit. Then when I go away on Friday my brother will come get Max for the weekend (of course this supposes he knows and remembers the codes to get into the house (there are two - one for the garage and one for the house itself)). Oy! Such drama. All so Max won't be alone overnight.
Bonus is that I can do laundry in their machines on Wednesday and Thursday so I can pack for my road trip.
I can't wait! The kites are already in the car.
"Would you like to open a BestBuy credit card?"
"...No. ...Thank you."
"Really? Its really fast, and who couldn't use another credit card?" (At this point this young man (teenagers!) smiled winningly, but had the under thread of joking in his voice.)
"Me. I don't need another credit card. ...Thanks, though."
"Isn't that what you are supposed to do? For credit? Open up a bunch of credit cards all at once?"
o.O "Um. No. Really really not."
We had a whole conversation about how *BAD* that advice was, and I found myself leaving him with this last thought "Kid, take it from someone who is twice as old as you. That is a bad bad bad idea."
How the HELL did I get to be this old? That I am TWICE as OLD as the BestBuy clerk? Likely I am MORE than double his age - he didn't look older than about fifteen, so it was entirely likely he was actually about eighteen.
Then I went to my parent's house so my dad could set my laptop up on his wireless. He's got it rigged up with major security levels (which okay, one, he lives in a fairly RURAL area. I doubt they wouldn't actually SEE anyone trying to steal their bandwidth, because it isn't like the wireless actually covers the whole house! Someone would have to be sitting AT their front door to be able to use it, be on the system AND have the password.
Anyway, I went over to do that so when they go away on Wednesday I can work from their house Wednesday and Thursday as I house/dog sit. Then when I go away on Friday my brother will come get Max for the weekend (of course this supposes he knows and remembers the codes to get into the house (there are two - one for the garage and one for the house itself)). Oy! Such drama. All so Max won't be alone overnight.
Bonus is that I can do laundry in their machines on Wednesday and Thursday so I can pack for my road trip.
I can't wait! The kites are already in the car.
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My parent's dog, Max, a pretty good sized black lab, is shedding like hell right now. After I helped my mom at the shop we went to my folks' for lunch today. After lunch we took Max out on the deck to brush him, since my dad hadn't done it after his walk. Fistfuls of fur came off him! And he treated it like a huge game.
And just to be thorough, we decided to bathe him (since the brushing brought all the sand and grit he loves to roll in to the surface). Ugh - more fistfuls of fur! We clogged the tub drain several times. He was good, though, and leapt into the tub when we wanted him to, and even if he was a little confused as to why we wanted him to stay there, he did - long enough for us to wet him down, soap him up and rinse him off. Then I took him back out to the deck to dry in the sunshine so my mom could clean the bathroom - where I pulled even more fur off of him.
So when I left I was completely covered in dog hair... Every single thing I was wearing went into the laundry (and I showered this morning - I kind of feel like I need another one!)
But the shop is in good shape - I took apart and rebuilt some of the glass cubes - and figured out that the FEWER people involved in building one of these displays the sturdier it becomes. I was in on building another one in the front room several months ago and it still shocks me it is standing, that thing is so danged unsturdy. The one I built today is very very strong - like it should be. But there were four people who were actively involved in building that one and I think that is WHY it is as rickety as it is.
And we removed half of the column of two glass cubes from the very front (and alternated out the hardware for half of it as it stood - which I think would have had fewer breathless moments of "omg is this going to collapse" if we'd just pulled it apart and rebuilt - but since I arrived while they were in the middle of that project I couldn't exactly SAY anything.
Really lovely day - low humidity, sun shining, and about seventy-two degrees out. PERFECT day.
And just to be thorough, we decided to bathe him (since the brushing brought all the sand and grit he loves to roll in to the surface). Ugh - more fistfuls of fur! We clogged the tub drain several times. He was good, though, and leapt into the tub when we wanted him to, and even if he was a little confused as to why we wanted him to stay there, he did - long enough for us to wet him down, soap him up and rinse him off. Then I took him back out to the deck to dry in the sunshine so my mom could clean the bathroom - where I pulled even more fur off of him.
So when I left I was completely covered in dog hair... Every single thing I was wearing went into the laundry (and I showered this morning - I kind of feel like I need another one!)
But the shop is in good shape - I took apart and rebuilt some of the glass cubes - and figured out that the FEWER people involved in building one of these displays the sturdier it becomes. I was in on building another one in the front room several months ago and it still shocks me it is standing, that thing is so danged unsturdy. The one I built today is very very strong - like it should be. But there were four people who were actively involved in building that one and I think that is WHY it is as rickety as it is.
And we removed half of the column of two glass cubes from the very front (and alternated out the hardware for half of it as it stood - which I think would have had fewer breathless moments of "omg is this going to collapse" if we'd just pulled it apart and rebuilt - but since I arrived while they were in the middle of that project I couldn't exactly SAY anything.
Really lovely day - low humidity, sun shining, and about seventy-two degrees out. PERFECT day.
My parent's neurotic dog has a new foible. You all remember Max right? I wrote about him here http://etakyma.livejournal.com/117116.html - where I discussed his habit of doing a crazy Ivan to enter rooms. He still does this - and sometimes at great speeds.
He has never liked stairs. He doesn't quite know what to do with them. And he has trouble coordinating front legs and back legs to actually climb them. So he has never been in the upstairs part of my folk's house. Which is fine. But to get into the house there are a t least two steps up. In the case of the back deck there are five wide shallow steps from the grass to the deck. Please note - Max has no trouble scrambling up these steps when they are covered in ice and snow.
Today I witnessed him going up the stairs from yard to deck backwards. As if he feels that if he doesn't actually watch he can climb stairs.
I don't know. This dog is strange. I don't think I've seen another dog that has figured out if he turns around and does something backwards it works better for him and he can actually do whatever it is (enter a room, climb stairs). Doesn't it seem to you that doing something backwards would not make anything easier?
He's a very sweet dog. Just strange.
He has never liked stairs. He doesn't quite know what to do with them. And he has trouble coordinating front legs and back legs to actually climb them. So he has never been in the upstairs part of my folk's house. Which is fine. But to get into the house there are a t least two steps up. In the case of the back deck there are five wide shallow steps from the grass to the deck. Please note - Max has no trouble scrambling up these steps when they are covered in ice and snow.
Today I witnessed him going up the stairs from yard to deck backwards. As if he feels that if he doesn't actually watch he can climb stairs.
I don't know. This dog is strange. I don't think I've seen another dog that has figured out if he turns around and does something backwards it works better for him and he can actually do whatever it is (enter a room, climb stairs). Doesn't it seem to you that doing something backwards would not make anything easier?
He's a very sweet dog. Just strange.
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Or maybe it is because it is tax season that today has been aggravating for so many of you.
My flist is full of angst and woe. Both petty and not, minor and major, small grievances and major life-upheavals.
All I can say is hang in there, flist!
Today I mailed my taxes and went to the Apple Store. My Mac's power cord started to flake out on me this weekend, only connecting intermittently, so I was prepared to spend the $ to replace it. I got the Mac through work, in California. And I knew it would be less than $100 - which I was more than prepared to spend. The very nice, helpful guys at the Apple Store did not charge me for the replacement part! Bonus.
Then I found out that the Mall (where the Apple Store is) is, for the spring and summer, going to highlight the fashion students at five local colleges. This month I believe it is Mount Ida College and they had designs from ten different student designers. They also had, for most (I didn't see a write up on *all* of them) designers a poster board where the designer told a little about them selves, their influences, and their fashion point of view.
One young man (a senior next year, I think his board said) had items from both his Sophomore and Junior shows. His sophomore show pieces were beautifully made period costumes. I wasn't as fond of his junior show items (I believe he described them as playboy bunny meets the armed forces). I found them a little too Wonder Woman brief for me. But there were a number of other designers that had some interesting take on clothing. Things I am not really sure about, but I enjoyed looking at. There was also some things executed better than others - but, well, hello, student work!
Other news - saw the puppy this weekend, and man, is he GROWING - he's gonna be a big boy. My folks might be going out of town toward the end of the month - I may be puppy sitting for a weekend. If they go. My dad has a reunion of the ship he served in the Navy on. Now, he's been out of the Navy since the 1950s (1957? 1958?), and they hold these reunion things every five or ten years. My mom says they'll only go if he decides he wants to. Whatever. Big deal - I'll spend a few days enjoying their big TV and keeping Max company. Maybe do my laundry there in their fancy-shamancy machine.
I have to hassle my boss a little when she is back (she took three days vacation, and should be back on Thursday) to find out if I am going to Stockholm or Hiroshima. Our meeting planner needs to know. And so do I, if I am going to get plane tickets.
And that is the state of me. Nothing terribly exciting except the Azkatraz banners. And right now a whole hell of a lot of letting for the same.
My flist is full of angst and woe. Both petty and not, minor and major, small grievances and major life-upheavals.
All I can say is hang in there, flist!
Today I mailed my taxes and went to the Apple Store. My Mac's power cord started to flake out on me this weekend, only connecting intermittently, so I was prepared to spend the $ to replace it. I got the Mac through work, in California. And I knew it would be less than $100 - which I was more than prepared to spend. The very nice, helpful guys at the Apple Store did not charge me for the replacement part! Bonus.
Then I found out that the Mall (where the Apple Store is) is, for the spring and summer, going to highlight the fashion students at five local colleges. This month I believe it is Mount Ida College and they had designs from ten different student designers. They also had, for most (I didn't see a write up on *all* of them) designers a poster board where the designer told a little about them selves, their influences, and their fashion point of view.
One young man (a senior next year, I think his board said) had items from both his Sophomore and Junior shows. His sophomore show pieces were beautifully made period costumes. I wasn't as fond of his junior show items (I believe he described them as playboy bunny meets the armed forces). I found them a little too Wonder Woman brief for me. But there were a number of other designers that had some interesting take on clothing. Things I am not really sure about, but I enjoyed looking at. There was also some things executed better than others - but, well, hello, student work!
Other news - saw the puppy this weekend, and man, is he GROWING - he's gonna be a big boy. My folks might be going out of town toward the end of the month - I may be puppy sitting for a weekend. If they go. My dad has a reunion of the ship he served in the Navy on. Now, he's been out of the Navy since the 1950s (1957? 1958?), and they hold these reunion things every five or ten years. My mom says they'll only go if he decides he wants to. Whatever. Big deal - I'll spend a few days enjoying their big TV and keeping Max company. Maybe do my laundry there in their fancy-shamancy machine.
I have to hassle my boss a little when she is back (she took three days vacation, and should be back on Thursday) to find out if I am going to Stockholm or Hiroshima. Our meeting planner needs to know. And so do I, if I am going to get plane tickets.
And that is the state of me. Nothing terribly exciting except the Azkatraz banners. And right now a whole hell of a lot of letting for the same.
My father told me nothing but that they got a puppy. It is male, four months old (almost) and a black Lab. By the time I left this afternoon, little noname had been dubbed "Max." After discussing it nearly all afternoon, some names were discarded quickly. Some stuck around. And it finally came down between Charlie and Max. Max just seemed to *fit* more. So Max he is.
He seems to be a very sweet boy - and very calm for his age.
He seems to be a very sweet boy - and very calm for his age.
.
