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Happy Friday
fri 1 may 2009 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090501.html | |
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At the day job, they had a pizza party for lunch. And they ordered me a vege pizza with no cheese! :) The day was nice enough that we got to eat outside. And a good, happy time was had by all! After work, Significant Other met me at our community garden plot (him driving from home and me biking from work). I was there for moral support, mostly just watching SO take out weeds. :) Next time we do that, tho, I'll be sure to bring a Clif bar or something to munch on. I usually get dinner right after work, and it's surprising how quickly I get grumpy when I'm starving to death! ;| Anyway, SO got a lot done in the garden...
And I am very pleased about that! We have a good collection of stuff to plant, if we ever actually get to that point! ha. And now it's the weekend. I brought home a good handful of new markers from the day job! I am terribly excited about playing with them! And my crochet project is slowly but surely getting bigger. A couple new books to read. Some photography to play with. My April paper journal to finish and bind up.
And the continuing blogging, of course. I don't know: I feel a little bit crazy to do two months in a row of daily blogging. But I've really been enjoying typing here, most days. So I'm going to keep going. |
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productive saturday
sat 2 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090502.html |
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This morning I worked on my crochet for a bit... the bag I'm making to hold my string. It goes slower than I'd like because I can only work for about half an hour a day because of my carpal tunnels. eh. And then I worked on my postcard album. I usually print up an extra postcard, every time I make a new one, to stick in my album. It makes it easier to choose one when I can see all my choices! But I've not been doing that for the past two months! A Nap. And then I put in several hours for chores. Yuck, but it's good to have it done. I sat down at the computer, and then noticed my new markers... sitting there, just sitting there doing nothing! So. Maybe I'll doodle a bit. Well, that kinda looks like a flower, it needs a vase...
... a crooked vase, but nevertheless! ;) |
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photo
sun 3 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090503.html |
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more raindrops
mon 4 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090504.html |
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music
tues 5 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090505.html |
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So far I've chosen Loreena McKennitt... Nice relaxing morning music... There's some Enya and other New Agey music. but not everyone likes it, and in fact I got teased about it! *laughs* And I suggested Angels and Airwaves a couple weeks ago. And that has been played several times. eh, it's a good mix, but I don't really know who plays any of the other songs. Today I suggested Garbage. And wow! the mix of songs that came up was absolutely brilliant. There was some Smashing Pumpkins and some NIN and some No Doubt and some Cranberries. And other great random songs. The 90's were good, right. But then the radio got stolen out of my car, and I never got it replaced. So I don't really listen to the radio anymore. So I haven't really discovered any new groups that I like. And Garbage isn't making any new songs. Evanescence was the last music that I bought (that was a new group for me). And I think I first heard that group on the radio in Significant Other's vehicle. Anyway, I think I am sad that I don't have any new music that I really love. But at least I can re-discover old music that makes me happy! :) |
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wetlands
wed 6 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090506.html |
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I was thinking that I should try to get out and visit. The closest wetlands is right on the bike path, about 3.5 miles away. That will be a pretty major bike ride for me! ;) Anyway, they say there are turtles in the creek next to the wetlands out there. But I've never seen any! So I'll definitely have to study the area! |
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time issues
thurs 7 may 2009 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090507.html | |
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I try to get in my half hour of crocheting every day... otherwise the bag for my string is never going to get done. I barely have time to read my books and magazines. What about taking a photo here and there? How about doing some gardening now and then? Are the worms feeling ignored, are the houseplants okay? At least the guinea pigs and the Significant Other haven't died yet from lack of attention. ;) I haven't made any new postcards... I haven't even sent out any postcards this week! sheesh!! My paper journal has been suffering, in silence. It's past my bed time by the time I actually get to bed anymore, and I haven't been taking the time to write! This, of course, makes the chaos ever worse. Fortunately, I was browsing through Heather Goldsmith's awesome website, As I Write It. An entry earlier this week points toward a free journaling course. Free is good. now if I can just make time to actually read the pages! |
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Garden
fri 8 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090508.html |
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And we started with the garden, this afternoon. Significant Other seemed a bit grumpy about killing the weeds (hard work) so we planted some stuff instead! Yay, plantings! My Mom had sent some green onions. And I got some baby garlics from my day job. All planted. And then we sprinkled some wildflower seeds, "Beneficial Bug Mix". I must admit, planting things is much more fun than killing weeds! *laughs* And I'm excited to see what will come up with the Bug Mix... The mix has 18 plants in it, including Black-Eyed Susan, Forget-Me-Not, Cilantro, Dill, Daisy, Poppy, a few that I won't recognize and a few I've never heard of before! It will be a learning experience, and that makes me happy. Also, I'm thinking about starting a Garden Journal. To show the "before" photos and diagrams of what is planted where and the lists of our wildflowers and the empty seed packets. |
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yay Wetlands
sat 9 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090509.html |
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The search for turtles in the creek or on the wet prairie was entirely futile. The bike ride was good tho. I saw a little snake crossing the bike path on the way, and a heron in the creek on the way back. And just hanging out at the viewing stations was so wonderful, even tho the two ducks didn't feel like hanging out with me. :) But the red wing black birds were talking at me. And I was getting some vitamin D. Actually, a bit too much vitamin D... minor sunburn on the face and hands. Evil sun. Now I never want to go outside again. heh. |
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Vegan
sun 10 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090510.html |
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I ran into another person who didn't get the connection... In order for cows (or goats in this case) to make milk, they must have a baby. Just like humans, cows and goats don't just spontaneously make milk. They must be pregnant and have a child. That is what milk is for... it's baby food. Animal milks are so ingrained in our civilization, that we have forgotten this process and no longer associate it with the human process: sex leads to pregnancy leads to baby leads to milk for the baby. of course, for the cows and goats it's more like rape leads to pregnancy leads to baby leads to murdering baby and a machine attached to breasts leads to mastitis and calcium deficiency and ketosis and the same thing next year and the next and maybe the next and then murder. Seriously, people: Go Vegan.
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yay
mon 11 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090511.html |
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All of my people at the day job made me feel special. And we had vegan German Chocolate cake from a local bakery... there was even a little tag on the cake that said "No dairy, No eggs, No animal products"! yay! And I got home and Significant Other was cooking me a homemade pizza with olives and mushrooms and tomatoes and garlic and more olives! yay and wow it was yummy! Cards and emails from the family and friends!
... now I have all these Thank You notes I have to write...
But first: let the Birthday Week commence |
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Avatars
tues 12 may 2009 | ||||
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090512.html | ||||
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This was my only avatar, for like ten years of Internetting. ha.
But it's too small, most communities want bigger images and I
was too lazy to create a new unicorn avatar. So, I started using
different ones about a year ago...
This is the avatar that I've got
at my National Blog Posting
Month profile. I made this when
I got fascinated by heraldic
words... this is my Rampant Blob.
My avatar
at PostCrossing. Just a random scan of a scribble
in my journal.
And this is my avatar at the Snuggles Project and Ravelry
(both private groups).
That's Boo and Twitch on the first (well, only)
Snuggle I made.
Little bits of "me". I think I'd like a avatar with a frog. And one with a dragon. and one with a pig. and a chicken. Another unicorn one. etc. I could post a different one with each of my blog entries. ... 'cause I always need one more project to work on! |
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photo
wed 13 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090513.html |
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The camas is colouring the meadows purple. Camas is a food source, the bulbs are harvested in the autumn and have been compared to sweet potatoes. Don't eat the ones with white flowers, tho: they're toxic! I've tried a couple times to gather wild seeds which I've planted in the tiny garden, but they've never come up. I should try stealing some bulbs instead. |
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Booking Through Thursday
thurs 14 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090514.html |
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Saturday May 2nd was Free Comic Book Day!
In celebration of comics and graphic novels:
I have read a couple graphic novels... As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial by Derrick Jensen and art by Stephanie McMillan. I loved this book because it's Derrick Jensen. But it was also my introduction to Stephanie McMillan, and I now follow her comic, Minimum Security Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa. I very much enjoyed the art work in this book... but the story itself was too simple for my taste. And I am definitely not going to pursue any other graphic novels, based on this one. There was also a Firefly/Serenity book that I read at some point, but I can't find it or remember the title or anything. *rolls eyes at self* Anyway. I wouldn't mind reading graphic novels. They are a lot quicker to read than text novels! :) But I don't really know where to start. And I've got a decent "to be read" pile already. So I'm probably not going to worry about it, unless a few free graphic novels drop out of the sky and land a few feet away. (Yes, the library is more than a few feet away!) ;) |
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garden
fri 15 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090515.html |
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And then, all of a sudden, I didn't want to work anymore! I'm tired! Very Very tired. eh, I can barely type I'm so tired! Anyway. The garlic starts that we planted last friday are wilted. So I stole our neighbor's garden hose and gave them some water. It doesn't look like any of the Beneficial Bug Mix have come up either. I guess I need to buy a hose. And start visiting the garden more than once a week. I got some peas for my birthday, and I've not even planted them yet! And I can't wait to gather up peas from the garden!! ha! |
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saturday
sat 16 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090516.html |
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I did some crocheting and I printed up a bunch of postcards for my monthly exchange. Then I went to the day job for a couple hours. I stood around in the sunshine too long and got sunburned again. Too bad I despise sun-block. Came home and worked on my postcards some more. I got them done but then realized I didn't have enough 1¢ stamps. A curse on the price hike. And the Canada/Mexico stamps went from 72¢ to 75¢ Oh, and the international stamps went up 4¢... so now they are 98¢... except they aren't selling any 98¢ stamps. eh? Okay. Whatever.
I never wrote a "to do" list for this weekend... so, I can pretend that I'm getting most of my stuff done! :) |
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sunday chat
sun 17 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090517.html |
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heh. But it's okay. My Significant Other is going to fix the stamp problem. And the work wasn't too painful, not even the minor sunburn. I am trying to get organized for my business trip on tuesday and wednesday. aka, my art trip! It's my first ever business trip. Trying to figure out how dressy my clothes should be. Trying to figure out what art supplies to bring... Wish I could bring the markers I've already bought (I currently own 30) but I'd be devastated if I lost any! (they are expensive!!) And how will I deal with being with my coworkers for days on end??! Will I be able to keep my annoyance at social situations in check? Or will I blow up, and never be able to work in this town again? ;) What kind of vegan food will be available for me? I think Portland is the most vegan friendly town in the world, so it shouldn't be a problem. But I'm going to pack an extra sandwich and a bunch of Clif Bars, just in case! And, most importantly ;) what about my daily blogging?!? I could get up early on tuesday and type up a quick entry... but I don't know what time I'll be back on Wed night. And to break up my ongoing bloggy joy here... disturbs me! Well. We'll see how it goes! |
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photo
mon 18 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090518.html |
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tuesday AM
tues 19 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090519.html |
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(too early!) I've been sleeping with my bedroom window open the last couple of nights. Only problem, besides the occasional car going through the parking lot, is that the crows start talking at 4 or 5 in the morning. And so I miss out on a couple hours of sleep. Okay. Will be going to the day job in a little bit. with my duffle bag. :) After work, they are driving us up to the city. Putting us up in a hotel, and I don't know what happens for the rest of the evening... On wednesday, our art class goes from 9am to 4pm! All Day Art! yay! Not sure what time I'll be back on wed night, so there may or may not be a blog post. Definitely on thursday there will be interesting things to type about. :) :) |
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Copic Certified
wed 20 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090520.html |
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The hotel was interesting, the food was great. And my all day art class was brilliant! I've been colouring with markers for so long today, I'm pretty sure I'm going to dream about them. :) type at'cha tomorrow. |
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Copic
thurs 21 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090521.html |
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So, yay Copics...
(Darn it, I wish I took more photos... but I was so involved in my art class, I just forgot even tho the camera was sitting right next to me!) This is a photo of my papers and notes at the first break at my Copic Certification yesterday. The teacher (also my coworker) brought some of the stamps she designs, and that's what's on the top couple sheets. By the end of the day, most of my papers looked more like the page with the green arc... filled up with scribbles and notes and attempts at blending colours and air brushing blasts! (I will lay out my junk and take pictures over the weekend to show you!) At the top right of the photo are the demo markers... a case of 36 and I honestly wanted more to play with!! (we currently have 322 colours, coming out with more this summer.) Under my cup of coffee and water glass is the little pouch of the freebies I got from the class!!! |
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yawn
fri 22 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090522.html |
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And then my Significant Other wouldn't even let me take a nap this evening! heh... it was a good thing: I would have slept until tomorrow noon and would have felt bad about missing my daily blog entry. ;) The long weekend will used for catching up... on sleep and on my projects. (And not to mention some web surfing, as well.) But yeah. Got drawings to do, copic blendings to practice. I got bumped up to the next level in PostCrossing while I was away this week. I've got just a couple hours of work on the bag I'm crocheting and it'll be finished. We have to go to a mediation at our community garden tomorrow morning... Our garden plot neighbors are having a problem, but not with us. We are only marginally involved, so it should be interesting.
(later) Oh, hey! The back of my head is on the Internet! *laughs*
I Like Markers: Portland Certification Photos
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Copic Continued
sat 23 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090523.html |
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I have been practicing my marker blends, as well. If I ever start drawing again, my shading will be much better. Light colour first, then dark, then saturate with the light colour again to get a nice smooth transition! One of the markers that we sell is called "0 Colorless Blender" and from the name, you would think that it blends. Well, it does not. In fact, that was the part of our certification that amused me the most: Marianne, the teacher and my coworker, lays down one colour and then a different colour, right next to it. Then she goes over it with the "Colorless Blender"... and the two colours do not blend. That was exactly the thing that I did when I came home with my first batch of markers, including a Copic 0. And when my two colours did not blend, I was all "dang, this is a worthless marker!" laughs. Fortunately, at the certification Marianne taught us exactly what the blender marker does do. While it does not "blend" the way you think it should... it does do some cool things! It pushes ink out of the way... to create highlights, or to erase your little mistakes. You can also use the 0 markers or the ink to create some textures. See the neck on my dragon...
I coloured the dragon, first, and then I played with blender... At the top of the neck, I was just dotting with the sketch 0 colorless blender marker. A bit above the midline I had dabbed some blender on a terry cloth rag and then pressed it against the green. At the base of the dragon neck, I soaked a crumpled paper napkin with blender and pressed that against the green. And the very light arc above the "S" of the static8.com, just happens to be my finger print: I dripped some blender on my finger and then pressed it down! haha. So I guess the Copic 0 that I got won't be so useless after all. :) |
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garden
sun 24 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090524.html |
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It ended up that we did not have to go to the mediation... the problem that our plot neighbors had was corrected. I'm glad everything got worked out. And I'm also glad that I did not have to witness any angry gardeners... Gardening is a stress reliever, right? But maybe the hard core gardeners get kind of rabid! *wink* Anyway. SO is still working hard to clear out our weeds. We're down to a patch about 10x12 feet, maybe. The weeds are Very established at this point so it's seriously hard work to take them out of the ground!
And I worked on the weeds that were coming back in the areas SO had already cleared. Much easier work when they're little like that. (Lesson learned for next year!) And we planted a few rows of peas. The other things we planted -- garlic starts, green onion bulbs, and a Beneficial Bug Seed Mix -- are not really doing anything. It's stopped raining, so we'll have to start watering if anything's going to grow. Besides the weeds that is! :) |
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Crochet!
mon 25 may 2009 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090525.html | |
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Yay, I finished the crocheted bag I was making to hold my string! It took 11 hours of crocheting which I spread out over one month. Because of my carpal tunnel, I just have to accept that I am a very slow crocheter! I was so excited that I had finished something, that I decided to whip up a quick dish cloth. And I suddenly realized that my crocheting is getting faster!! The dish cloths that I did in february took me 2.5 hours... but this one I finished in 1hour 40mins!! yay! It's also a bit bigger than my first dish cloths, which means my stitches are getting a bit more relaxed. Which is a very good thing. So anyway. When I went to put my string into my new bag... I discovered a serious lack of string. A couple rolls of the too-thin eco-cotton are not going to get any projects complete!
So, I need to get some more string. And also figure out what to
do with it. I really should get started on xmas scarves... but
I'd really rather work on some more |
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oof
tues 26 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090526.html |
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I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some of the cheap plastic string (aka acrylic) that I thought I would avoid forever. But I decided I want to try out different types of string, just for practice. Especially since the Snuggles Project is getting organized for the summer! They mentioned a dog shelter that needs blankets, so I'm going to see if I can make a decent sized doggie Snuggle. The size recommended on the site is 36x36 inches, I think... three feet! But maybe I'll start that project later in the week. Since they kinda wore me out today, think I'll try to get to bed early this evening.
And while I was off being murdered at my day job, Significant Other was working diligently in our community garden! But he forgot the garden gloves and so he gave himself blisters, as he was taking out weeds. and there are still more weeds to go... |
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random things
wed 27 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090527.html |
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∞ I brush my teeth every morning and every night. I do not get annoyed about brushing my teeth. I love to brush my teeth! ∞ I like to walk to work. But I'd much rather bike home because it's so much faster! eh. ∞ I eat pasta with miso Every Single Day. I just can't get enough of my pasta miso. ∞ I would really like to draw or make something new for my site design. I am tired of rainbow elephants. I think I want frogs. But I'm lazy. ∞ The lupine in the tiny back garden is blooming like crazy! I like to look at it. ∞ White Chocolate Macadamia Nut is my new favorite flavor of Clif bar... introduced by my supervisor at the day job! ∞ I have been trying to get back into paper journaling because it's been rather hit or miss lately, and lots of miss. But I start by writing "why am I doing this?" ha. |
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more random
thurs 28 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090528.html |
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He also says our peas are growing! Yay! I can't wait to get over there to see all this, tomorrow afternoon. And I am looking forward to planting more things. I think we should plant the rest of the wild flowers, and get more. SO was saying that the bees were mad at him as he was chopping down their food source (the weeds were very pretty!).
I thought I wanted to do something fancy for the dog snuggle that will be my next crocheting project. And I spent 40 mins last night playing with a design I wanted to modify. And when it was done, I thought of two reasons why it wasn't going to work! so, um, never mind. So, I'm going to stick with simple... but play with multiple colours of string, so it's not so simple that it kills me with boredom! We'll see how that turns out! |
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randomness on hobbies
fri 29 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090529.html |
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*laughs*
I finally got started on my next crocheting project last night, so now I should stop babbling about it here. I don't know why I have to turn it over in my head for days on end!
Slowly but surely I am turning everyone at work into PostCrossers. Now two other people have PostCrossing accounts. Oh yes, postcards everywhere!
I have been considering my drawing, uh, problem. See the thing is: I can draw... I just don't. I keep trying to set myself up to draw on a regular basis... I've said I'm going to have a Drawing Month, several times this year, and it always fizzles out after a week or so of daily drawings. I just can't figure out how to motivate myself. Because I do like to look at the drawings I've made! I want to make more! It's just so much work, to actually draw them! :) |
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lazy saturday
sat 30 may 2009 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090530.html |
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Which kept me glued to my handheld all evening... The book is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow... About the government taking away privacy for a little bit of (assumed) security, and cracking down on all those (assumed) terrorists.
It's scary because it's already happening in the animal rights
arena:
Fortunately, we won't have to worry about such things for too much longer. Because civilization is going to crash! Yay Doom! heh. |
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fizzled out
sun 31 may 2009 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/archive2009/090531.html | |
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Posting every day in May: done! And I'm rather glad it's over. the last few days, I have not had anything interesting to type about. eh. I will not be blogging every day in June. I've got family visiting in the middle of the month. And I'm actually looking forward to keeping the computer turned off, every now and then! With the extra time on my hands... I'm hoping to revitalize some of my other hobbies. Especially the drawing and the paper journaling. I've been blogging daily for two months now... and I think a change will do me some good! |
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