Wubba wubba wubba -- what?

DG is off and running to a rig again. While the timing wasn't great for kid reasons, we need the money desperately, so it's copacetic. Of course, he got the phone call while he was cooking dinner, and was told to leave Now. They gave him an hour to finish up and get repacked.

Thing 1 just turned 15 this Monday. Who's feeling old? Yes, yes, that's me (and probably a dozen or so folks that knew her when she was a baby). Today was Goblin Day at her school, and thus full costumes were allowed (barring the usual Bible Belt rules of no cross-play (no guys dressing as girls -- but of course, if a girl dressed as a male character, they wouldn't say a bloody thing -- UGH), had to stay in school dress code, if you wanted to wear a hat or partial mask you had to pay for the privilege, etc. Those of you with weak hearts don't want to see the pics when I get them posted. Trust me.

I have little skin left on my fingers from finishing her wings. At least now they're definitely asbestos-skinned towards heat. I so love a good glue gun. Or even a crappy one. Mmm, adhesive!!

And the dd with her wings for her Halloween costume.

My computer is definitely temporarily D-E-D. Half Life 2 was not its friend, and the video card has gone kaboom. Unless anyone out there has a spare PCI-E video card they aren't using and don't mind sending along, I'm stuck without a machine for quite a while.

The fridge, which had croaked, I managed to kick (and had the bruise to show for it) back into something resembling function, but not function that I would trust. However, our doctor neighbor that has saved my butt a few times on weekends with meds is moving (and this makes me not happy) and was getting rid of everything she could. Networking is your friend. So I asked about the side-by-side fridge in their garage.

It's now sitting in my garage, waiting for some muscle to help me switch them out. Free. Frankly, it's much nicer than ours EVER was. Free.

I also managed to get bunk beds from them, and while they don't have mattresses, there's at least one set of box springs, and they're old sturdy hardwood bunk beds that can be assembled separately. Both Things have decided they no longer want to sleep on futons, so this was good timing. Just have to figure out a sleeping surface before we put them in their rooms.

The weather has been nice, finally. 50s or so at night. I finally needed something other than just a sheet last night for the first time, and the AC wasn't even on. About time, considering our electric bills. It's actually 60* out there right now, at 11 am. Shiny. Of course, this led to DG leaving windows open, which led to me and tubby cat not being able to breathe. This fresh air stuff, clearly, it's not good for you.

Still out of ridiculous amounts of medication, which isn't good for me either. At least I still have some Lidoderm patches, and my seizure meds, and my bp drugs finally, but everything else -- newp. And of course none of the ones I need are on WalMart's $4 formulary. Figures, huh?

Ah, the familiar sounds of annoyed barking in the backyard. Zoe's after the squirrels again. She LOOOOOVES chasing squirrels. The squirrels? Not so much love. We tried to tell her about the mob of Russian squirrels mauling that other dog, but she didn't seem to care too much. The dog is also much happier now that the weather is cooler, and no longer minds going outside. She's like me, she hates heat. It's odd, because it's not like she has long fur to deal with -- she's got the sleek Heeler coat, on that Corgi body -- but even the idea of going outside when it was 100* made her whimper and try to refuse. Now, she'll stay outside for hours, just to get to chase the squirrels as they race back and forth above her head.

48 Hours

Just hit 48 hours with No Nicotene At All. No cigarettes for a while -- heck, I couldn't breathe to begin with, much less if I tried to smoke. Bleh!

Not even the patches. None. Nada. Zip. No Nicotene. Of course, no patches is because we can't afford em.

No one is dead ... yet.

I'm still feeling the twitches and wanting a cigarette, but it's pretty much all psychological now, and not physical craving. My brain wants a cigarette. Habit wants a cigarette. Body doesn't NEED one, so this is progress.

.... still waiting for the "you'll feel SO much better once you quit" part, though. Clearly, the cigarettes had nothing to do with my being unable to regularly breathe through my nose -- ah, I love ragweed. With the pleurisy, I'm still hacking and wheezing, in fact worse than I did when I was smoking normally and not sick.

And worst of all, my nose, which is horribly over-sensitive, now REALLY works. I can smell things from blocks away. This is not good when a cat does something foul in a litter box. And food ... oh man, eating is difficult with the nose. ANY smell that isn't Totally Perfect, and I can't eat it. Seafood is now totally out, because even normal fishy smells are too strong for my nose to handle.

I'd forgotten how sensitive my nose was, and forgot that was part of WHY smoking was "good" -- the honker didn't sniff as much.

Heck, I gagged opening my ink box today. All the chemical-y smells of the ink, in an enclosed plastic box ... yep, almost hurled.

It DOES get better ... right???

Scrapbookers are N.U.T.S

My mother was looking for an apple stamp, a very tiny one. I found two, plus bought her one of the long Sizzix dies, the complete train one (my dad does model trains in a big big way).

I handmade the bag they all went in, origami gift bag folding (thank you, Karen Thomas). I didn't glue it down, so my mother, who has to reverse-engineer projects, could use it as a template for folding more. And of course, I made the card (Autumn's Daughter, in the card gallery).

I also sent one for my dad -- his birthday was yesterday, Mom's was in late August, but I had to wait till I found all the pieces I wanted for her.

Did she say anything about the presents? Or the bag? Or that I remembered her thing about wanting templates and instructions?

Nope.

What's she focused on?

How to get the birthday card into a scrapbook page.

*thunk*

Stamping On Tissue

Tissue paper can be fantastic for layering in your projects, but there are certain tricks to make it come out correctly.

In some ways, tissue can be used like vellum, however, most of the time it won't have the same level of transparency. Always test BEFORE permanently affixing it over existing images on your project, because once tissue gets adhesive on it and goes down, getting it off neatly is next to impossible.

Important things first — don't use tissue paper that will bleed. Not only is this important for the inks, but even more important when it comes to applying it to your project. Even gel medium will cause tissue colour to run, even glue stick, so use a stable tissue. While this might be a look you like, when using a stamp on it, it becomes a blurry disaster.

You certainly don't need to stick with plain and boring white tissue. Just check to make sure that the colour you want to use won't bleed by spritzing lightly with water — or purchase tissue that is clearly marked as colour-fast. There are so many options out now, that there are no limits to what you can do. Tissue can even have sparkles, glitter, and confetti worked into the paper itself, and can add some wonderful texture and extra dimension.

ALWAYS put an absorbant surface behind the tissue when stamping. Non-absorbant can cause bleeding and smudges, and the ink WILL bleed through to the surface below.

Permanent and dye inks are the best for stamping on tissue. Pigment inks tend to smudge when applying the tissue to the project, unless you're particularly brave and want to emboss, in which case slow-drying ink is a necessity — tissue is extremely absorbant, and ink will dry faster than you expect.

You CAN emboss on tissue paper, but it's very easy to scorch and burn, and without a static pack, it's pretty much just a mess. If you want to emboss, make sure you dust across the tissue before you stamp with an anti-static pack, or even a dryer sheet. Be careful when removing the excess, and use a fine paintbrush to get stray particles of powder off the paper. In addition, keep your heat tool a good distance from the paper — tissue scorches quite quickly — and don't overheat the embossing powder, or it will melt entirely into the tissue.

Tissue will generally stick to the stamp when stamping, so hold down the tissue with a finger, and pull the stamp up evenly without rocking with the other hand.

All ink colours work, but darker colours tend to give the best results, and are more dramatic. Subtle colours can get lost in the project once you continue to add layers.

If you intend to further colour the image, chalks work well, as do pencils. This isn't always best done after the tissue stamped image is applied, since some adhesives (such as gel medium or decoupage) will make the tissue LESS absorbant. Inks, markers, or paint will run and blur, unless you add these AFTER you've added the image to your project and the adhesive has dried, and even then you may get some running of the colour.

Quick Tips for Distress-Free Distressing

- When distressing heavier cardstock, spritz it with water first. This helps break the surface tension some and will help prevent tears.

- Start in the center of the sheet you want to distress. Form a ring with one hand, thumb and index finger, and leave a hole. Stuff a bit of the very center of the paper into that hole with your other index finger. Then crumple. Again, this helps break surface tension, and helps to ensure fewer tears, and easier crumpling.

- Lightly sand peaks of crumples, then ink them, for darker zones. Leave a few just sanded, or plain, for great variety.

- Don't limit yourself to sandpaper. Nail files work well. When using sandpaper, vary the strength of the grain for different effects -- very fine leaves few marks, and takes off less paper, while medium leaves a rougher grain and takes off more paper.

- While you can use a hot iron to re-flatten your paper for use, you can also heat it up with your heat gun, then press it under something heavy. This will give you more texture, and a less flattened surface to work with.

- Direct-To-Paper inking is great for edges, but can be pretty intense for larger areas. Use a stencil or stippling brush, pounce it on the inkpad, then work it over the larger space for a softer aged look.

- Household bleach is a great way to get a sunbleached look for certain areas. You can also use dishwasher detergents (liquid) with bleach to get an even more varied effect. It's also thicker, and easier to work with, and less worry about splatters on your work area and clothing. Just remember that any bleach product will work differently on different papers, so test it out first.

- If you really like a paper, but the pattern is too bright for your project, and you don't want to wait for sunbleaching, use your scanner! Scan the page in, and adjust the brightness and contrast till you get the faded look you want, then print on your paper choice.

- When doing a distressed look with paint, remember that colour is your friend. Don't use a single colour, use a minimum of two, preferably three. Petroleum jelly, applied in a thin coat on top of your base coat, will leave a wonderful distressed look when your second coat is on. When the paint is dry, just wipe the jelly off. It's faster and easier than sanding!

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Extinction

It did not suck.

Better review when I'm more coherent, hopefully, but it did not suck. If you're a zombie dork enough like me to have enjoyed the first one, you'll like the third.

And Milla's my new hero, right up there with Angelina, both of whom regularly do 90% or more of their own stunts (IE, the stunts that legal and insurance will allow them to do).

HOWEVER ... The CGI crew should be taken out and SHOT, repeatedly, starting from the toes up, for one horrendously overdone effect that you are smacked in the face with time and time again.

Every single close-up of Alice is Photoshop Airbrush in action. After only the second close-up, I was already sick to death of the smudge brush. It's that overdone

Queen Kat Designs -- Challenges With Prizes!

You still have time left to join the celebration party as I join Queen Kat Designs, not only as part of the Design Team, but as one of their new stamp designers!

All QKD clear acrylic stamps and stamp sets are ON SALE AT 25% OFF for the duration of the party, which ends this Monday, September 24.

Come to the Queen Kat Designs Blog to join the fun! Challenges have been posted for every day, and Friday's is the last to be posted. Details on points you can earn are posted in the blog, and you still have until Monday to enter for any of the five challenges posted during the week.

All entries are due in the gallery in their respective albums by Monday, Sept. 24th by 12am PST (midnight).

Winner will be announced Tuesday or Wednesday.

Don't miss out on the grand prize by letting the deadline slip away!

Dog:2 Human: 0

So, I took Zoe with me for gas. While I was paying ... that little stinker climbed into MY seat and was HONKING THE HORN at me.

The cashier absolutely LOST it when he looked out at the noise ... and saw a DOG in the driver's seat honking the horn.

You know the rule: Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Third is deliberate. FOUR TIMES she honked at me to hurry up. Oy!!

The guilty barker ...

And our Sonic drive-in is The Awesomeness. We went there after playing on the Pet Playground by the gas station (it's REALLY neat, has a bunch of pet-washing stalls with lots of options, like even skunk stink removal, and is set up specifically to wash pets, plus two HUGE playgrounds, one for small dogs, one for larger dogs, set up like obstacle courses with a big old-style handpump and water bowl. Very neat), and the server brought out a packed MilkBone with Zoe's cup of water. Neato!

Look at those pathetically sad hound-dog eyes!

I swear, I LOVE taking this dog places. Because of her mix (Half Corgi, half Blue Heeler), she CONSTANTLY gets comments, and the staff at all the local pet stores just flip out over her.

.... still awake ...

It's 5 am. I haven't even so much as had a nap.

I wouldn't say I'm wide awake. My body hurts, my eyes hurt, but my brain won't give up for the night and let me go to sleep.

So I came out to the computer ... and ended up having to do a complete system restore to fix whatever eldest dd did to my computer that fried three programs, including Firefox. Child is SO in trouble. This, after losing her cell phone for the SECOND time, because she has no concept of limited minutes. Grrrrrrr.

I hurt. I'm sick and tired of hurting. I know the stupid abcess didn't help, and that it made my nerve block wear off, but geeze .... a few months go by, and I forget how miserable I was before the last nerve block.

And as more time goes by, the symptoms of course get worse, and the blinding brain spike headaches get more frequent, and I reach the point where my head constantly hurts to at least some degree and there's pretty much no relief to be found. And I have to wait until the 7th for my next nerve block -- though I may call this morning and see if they have a cancellation for tomorrow to squeeze me in earlier.

.... and can someone tell me why my "ferocious" Corgi "guardmutt" has decided that the squeaking of my ceiling fan is evil and must be barked at at 4 am? I had to turn the fan OFF to calm her down.

Oh. Look. Shiny!

The Frugal Crafter

Crafters never throw anything away -- we all know it, we're all 'guilty' of it, and most of us drive our families crazy with the resulting cries of "Don't throw that out, I can use it!"


* You know how you're not supposed to keep clear acrylic and polymer stamps in their original packaging? That original packaging is nice and clear, and usually a decent weight as well. Reuse them, don't toss em!
--- Instead of buying page protectors to make shaker pockets for cards and scrapbooking, use the clear leftovers from the polymer stamps.
-- Spread alcohol inks on them, wait for it to dry, then run it through a die-cut machine for translucent embellishments.
-- You can even stamp on them if you use permanent inks! Or use a permanent marker, and layer your journaling over a photo.


* Don't throw out the chipboard/cardboard inserts in sticker packs! Also, for a lot of places where you can buy collage supplies online, they add thin cardboard to make sure the pages they send stay flat. Reuse!
-- The cardboard in sticker packs make fabulous sturdy bookmarks. Either cover with gesso and paint or stamp, or you can cover them with paper and go from there.
-- Larger sheets make great postcard backgrounds.
-- The lighter weight cardboard works just great with most punches, particularly corner rounders, to take away the sharp (and potentially boring) points.
-- Use them as inexpensive cover and back pages for accordian books and cards.


* Empty medication bottles are endlessly useful.
-- Save them for circle templates, and just trace around the smooth bottoms.
-- Use them to store embellishments, like eyelets and brads, or beads.
-- They make great storage for mixed or custom-blended embossing powders.


* Even if you don't garden, you have access to plastic plant flats. Most home improvement stores and garden centers will just give them away, all you have to do is ask.
-- Great storage for wood-mounted rubber stamps. You can put up to two layers per flat. Just cut a sheet of long paper for the bottom (and make sure you wash the flats first!!) and stamp out the matrix for where your stamps will fit so you know where to put them when you're done. You can use cut wood, heavy dowels -- or even cut toilet paper tubes -- to support the layers of flats so that you can stack them.
-- They make good project trays. Line with paper, or leftover cardboard, add aluminum foil or waxed paper, depending on the project, and you have a decent-sized tray that you can carry with you to another room of the house, or safely stack out of the way and cover your project so children and pets don't get into it.


* Paper scraps. Don't throw them away, use them.
-- Thin scraps, and a border punch, and you have coordinating borders for cards and pages.
-- Cut scraps further apart, and use them to make paper quilts and mosaics for cards and embellishments.
-- Run them through a die-cut machine.
-- Use them in your paper punches to create a stock of shapes in patterns and colours that match your projects.
-- Thin scraps can also be used for paper weaving, to create some interesting page elements, or to mimic ribbon behind photos and journaling.
-- Use alphabet stamps on strips for instant titles and greetings.


* Wallpaper sample books. Discontinued wallpaper books can be picked up, usually free, at most places that sell wallpaper. Most of the time, you not only have entire pages in there, but borders and other coordinating papers -- great for cards and scrapbooking.
-- Use sections of one paper for mats, sections of coordinating colours for other layers.
-- Slide a cutting mat behind a page, and use a craft knife to cut out specfic elements. This is great for border papers that just aren't quite perfect to use on a page - too short, or too wide - but you can get embellishments and design elements out of just a few cuts.
-- Another item great for die-cut machines and punches.


* Just because a glass bead is broken, doesn't make it trash. Don't throw it out, just shift from using it on jewelry to using it for embellishments. (Always make sure to file down any sharp edges and points for safety)
-- Beads broken in half can be added to cards and pages as flower centers, eyes, and anywhere you want a sparkly POP.
-- Collect enough broken beads, and use them with strong two-sided tape in place of using the tiny microbeads, or with the microbeads as larger accents of sparkle.


* You don't need to spend a fortune on sandpaper. Odds are, you have plenty of what you need right around the house.
-- Old nail files are great for distressing paper.
-- Nail files will take sharp edges off wire, and smooth out areas where you've cut shanks off buttons and loops off charms.
-- The very fine and buff sides of nail files replace the harder-to-find extremely fine sandpaper, and can be dampened for use with polymer clay, or PMC.
-- An addition to useful nailcare items is saving old nail clippers. They may not cut your nails well anymore, but they'll still snap a shank off a button!


* Cereal boxes don't have to go in the trash, either.
-- Good source of cardboard for projects.
-- Cut off the top, and cut the sides on angles, then cover in paper for instant and coordinating magazine holders (or use them to hold your stencils!)
-- Reseal the top. Cut off the top 2-3 inches, and the bottom 2-3 inches for great horizontal holders for pens, markers, and other accessories.


* "Fun" foam, the cheap sheets usually in the kids section of the craft store, that also come in pre-cut packs. If you have kids, you probably have this stuff around the house.
-- Those pre-cut shapes can make some nice stamps, and some even already have sticky on the back that you can use for mounting!
-- A little bit of double-sided adhesive, and even tiny scraps of the foam can be used in place of buying puff dots for dimensional accents.
-- Why buy shadow stamps, when you can make your own? Increase your stamp collection the easy way. Use an outline stamp (much like the ones QK sells in the store) and permanent ink to stamp onto foam. Cut the foam out along the outline, and mount in whatever way you choose. You now have a shadow stamp that perfectly matches and fits your original image -- two stamps out of one!
-- Use two sheets, or the thicker foam, and you've got a great pad for dry-embossing, or a great pad to put behind the paper you're stamping on.
-- They can also be used as pads to set nail-heads or eyelets.


* Expanded polystyrene -- packing foam. Don't throw it out and create landfill issues, use it.
-- It holds toothpicks great. Use toothpicks, bamboo skewers, whatever, and elevate things that need to dry -- great for painting on polymer clay, or adding mod podge, or any other sealant to pieces.
-- Cut/dig holes the perfect size into the polystyrene to hold your paintbrushes and craft knives.


* Keep a box for "found objects." Train your eyes to look for parts discarded on the ground. Washers, small electronic bits, buttons -- you'll be amazed at what you can find, and then use. This is especially great on vacations, when you can collect shells, river stones, and any other goodies you may find.
-- Padded envelopes that you've received are great for storing these items. Just label each padded mailer ('Beach, 2007,' etc), and you'll always have a supply of unique items for embellishments.

I'm not THAT old ... am I?

Thing 1, the eldest daughter, started HIGH SCHOOL today.

There are no words

I <3 my pain clinic!

SO, as a few of you know, the pain levels have been kicking my butt lately. I noticed that the nasty brain spikes started returning the day after I took my last prednisone and antibiotic, and wondered if it was related.

The pain doc said: "Absolutely." With a dental abcess, and my occipital neuralgia, the pain from the abcess, and the stress of infection and the prednisone, it aggravated the occipital nerve to the point that my last block wore off about a month or two too soon.

I'm scheduled to have needles shoved into my brain yet again on the 7th of September. That was the earliest they could get me in, and they APOLOGIZED for that. COOL!

I asked my pain doc about getting something to take at night, something that would last longer than 2-3 hours, because I'm sick of waking up and having to take more drugs. He did offer a stronger version of my current pain med, but darnit, I'm sick of pills. I have to take way too many on a daily basis as it is. So I asked about patches.

He said the Duralgesis patches aren't any good for acute pain, and they actually have to build up in your system. Then he stopped, and asked if I'd tried the Lidoderm patches. Why, no, no I hadn't.

..... Oh. My. God.

First off, they're huge, so I have to cut them down (which also means I get more usage out of each scrip), since I don't exactly have a big neck. I worried a bit, because I have some adhesive allergies, but the adhesive on these is really, really mild (in fact, it barely wants to stick on the back of my neck, darn hair).

.... And. They. WORK.

Not only do they work, they work directly on the area that HURTS, and doesn't affect the rest of the body. I can still take other pain meds without a problem at the same time. More importantly, they don't screw around with my brain or perception, so I don't feel all drugged up.

AND -- I can use them when my RSD sets off a joint or severe muscular pain elsewhere on my body, with direct to the pain relief.

My husband called earlier to check in after my appointment, and he said I sounded a hundred times better than I did yesterday.

Well, yeah, of course -- I can move my head without whimpering now, and my neck muscles are even loosening up a bit because they aren't clenching over the pain.

Wheeee!

Monoprint Cheats

Ever do a really awesome monoprint, and never be able to duplicate it? Yeah, me too.

There's a couple of ways to save you from this.

First, the easiest -- USE YOUR SCANNER! While it may not get all the shimmers if you use pearlescent or metallics, you've at least got the colours and pattern and you can always add in shimmer after you print it. This gives you MANY prints, instead of just one.

Second -- you don't have to only print one.

-- Work inside a page protector, or two sheets of acetate. When you put your paper in, use two sheets, and put them with the backs together inside the ink zone. You'll get two copies, pretty much identical.

-- A second round can then be done, and yes, it will be much lighter as most of the original ink was absorbed by the first paper, but you'll still get the same pattern and colours, and the secondary prints make great accents to work with the original.

Product Review: The Silent Setter

The Silent Setter
Provo-Craft

I used to loathe setting eyelets -- and for that matter, my family loathed it when I did it, too. The NOISE!! All the pounding drove them crazy.

There are other products out there that are quiet for setting eyelets and adding holes, but most are somewhat limited in where you can do it. If it isn't along an edge, you might be out of luck.

Not so with the Silent Setter.

The tool itself looks a bit like a hand drill: a comfort-grip knob on the top, magnetic chuck on the bottom that will hold the punches and the setters. You can literally put a hole ANYWHERE -- and in complete silence.

They aren't kidding about the name.

Operation is simple -- just push and twist to make a hole. Slightly more pressure is required for heavier cardstock, but still, the amount of pressure needed is SO much less than the more traditional methods. It's also perfect for adding holes for brads. With no limitation on where you add the holes, so brads can be added even after most of the project is complete.

It's surprisingly easy to use, even for me. Sometimes I do have to get a little leverage by standing up to use it, but I've had few problems with it working. My hands and wrists do ache if I have to set more than just a few, so it may not be the best for arthritics.

Switch the tip to a setter, and repeat the push and twist to set eyelets. It takes a bit of practice to make sure you don't mutilate the eyelet, but then that's the case for every single setter out there. And since each eyelet is different, some softer than others, practice is your best friend. Still, it's much gentler on eyelets than other tools, and you can -watch- as you set it and stop when it is perfectly scrunched without waiting to see if it worked or if it ended up mangled.

Some people have said that it only works with the eyelets included. This hasn't been the case for me. I've used multiple different brands of eyelets, and had no trouble. Coming from a woman with bad wrists and hands, this is something special. I suppose it all comes down to the user, and how much time you're willing to spend working with a new product.

If you expect any tool to work perfectly the very first time you try it, I imagine you don't have a lot of tools that you like. All new tools require practice, whether it be scrapbooking tools, or power tools in the garage. Very few people are absolute experts the first time they try something, so be patient with your tools and practice!

The Silent Setter has another nice bonus -- it comes with its own carrying case. The case is nicely padded, so the heavy tool won't bang up anything in your crafting bags.

You get three punch tips, three setter tips, and a mini craft mat inside the case, along with a small tub of eyelets to start.

The price is average, around 20, but it's easy to find them on sale.

I give the Silent Setter a B, mostly for the learning curve involved and potential difficulty for folks without a lot of hand and wrist strength.

Book Review: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope: Ideas And Projects to Spark Your Creativity
by Suzanne Simanaitis



"Indulge your creative cravings! Explore dozens of stories, exercises and instructive projects, all designed to feed, encourage and sometimes flex your creative muscle. You'll tap into the joy of drawing, be encouraged to create art in bed, create your own folded-paper shrine, discover the liberation of stream-writing, practice idea brainstorming, make your own duct-tape purse, learn to quiet the negative voice in your head, dream up your own creative studio space and much, much more. Inspiring art and eye-candy on every page–a Kaleidoscope of creative energy awaits you today!"

The title is not misleading. I consider this to be a book that should be in EVERY crafter's library, regardless of the crafts you pursue.

It is NOT "just another project" book, like so many out there, but a book that instead inspires you to create and work on your own pieces and letting the process lead where it may. This is going to be a book I read again and again.

I know what I'll be buying my crafty chicas for presents this year now, that's for sure. The author (who is a wonderful lady, and another Suzanne) put together a craft book that can be read over and over, and isn't just filled with projects. It is, without a doubt, the best crafty book I've bought in a long time. Not only that, but there's so FEW books like this, that are inspirational and make you think and give you ideas, and new ways to see things.

When I get a major brain fart and I WANT to create something, but just can't figure out what, having something to look through to help give me ideas, and better yet, not just for art, but writing as well, is a complete sanity-saver.

There are WORDS in this book. Not just a lot of pretty pictures and instructions, but stories and inspirational exercises to work you through the creative process. The book is a journey of self-exploration, helping you to reinvent the creative you and find your own true style. It's all about finding yourself.

While there are projects included within the pages, they aren't your average crafting projects, with a definite focus on collage and mixed-media work. Ribbon flowers, crafting with metal, reflection decks, postcard books, portable shrines, beeswax art, even a tape purse! However, these are really a minor part of the book, the main focus is on finding your own creative side, and learning how to best apply it to your art.

I honestly can't find enough words to describe just how wonderful this book is. Buy it, read it, buy more and share with others.

A+

Suzanne Simanaitis is also the editor and founder of ARTitude Zine, a quarterly, independent magazine about art, craft, and creativity. (ARTitude can be found at:http://www.artitudezine.com)

Product Review: Fiskars ShapeCutter

Fiskars Shapecutter

For the record, let me state now that I'm one of those people that can't cut a straight line with either a straight edge OR a paper cutter. Seriously, I swear to you. Cannot. Do. It.

That's one reason why I am utterly in love with my Shapecutter. This thing is a lifesaver for cutting shapes, even if it's just rectangles and squares. They end up precise, neat, and perfect for mats.

One caveat: You -must- use either the Fiskars ShapeTemplates, or another thick, sturdy template for this tool to work. The blades are SO very sharp that they bite right through and tear up thinner, flimsier templates and stencils. However, there is a HUGE selection of templates that will work with it, and most of them range from flat-out cheap to entirely reasonable, considering how sturdy they are and the number of shape options on them.

The ShapeCutter

Using the ShapeCutter is fairly easy, once you practice a bit -- I don't recommend starting with your expensive papers right out of the box. Larger shapes require a steady hand, and getting accustomed to the slight wobble if you don't keep the support perfectly flat on the template. It's too easy for the support to dip down into the open space, and then you get an uneven cut, so practice, practice, practice. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it.

The "adjustable" depth isn't quite as adjustable as they claim. I've played with it, and it doesn't seem to make much difference, except that at the lowest setting, it's locked down tight for deeper cuts into heavier paper. Still, it does a good clean job, even on vellum, which is always a nightmare to cut without getting weird edges.

Not much pressure is required to cut, even with thicker cardstock. The blades, as I said, are exceptionally sharp, and they do a good job making fast work of getting your shapes cut out. They even do well with sticky-back papers that you just peel away after cutting.

Even the basic Shapecutter comes with replacement blades, and is quite cheap. There are other kits available, going up in price according to what is included. Most of the kits have at least one template and a cutting mat to fit it -- the more expensive sets have more templates.

The ShapeTemplates

I couldn't believe how many were available. Not just your basic shapes: square, rectangle, oval, circle, hearts, stars, diamonds. No, there are alphabets, tiny shapes, tags, boxes, envelopes, borders, banners, even themed templates -- really, anything you might need.

In addition to the shapes INSIDE, the outside of most of the templates is also usable -- deckle edges, ruffles, and more. Instant borders or paper ribbons for your projects.

Each of the basic shape templates has multiple sizes of each shape, so you don't have to do any measuring for layers -- just pick the next size up or down, and you're ready to go.

Perfect circles, every time, and while many people have punches, they don't make them large enough to do the size of some of the shapes on the templates. That's another advantage to this tool. One template, one Shapecutter, many sizes, and no need for a ton of punches that take up space.

Templates are available either singly, or in sets.

The templates are easy to keep in a smaller space -- a single magazine rack will hold a LOT of these things, and keep them out of your way. They even have holes so you can put them in a notebook.

Overall

Granted, you can't get very intricate shapes out of these with a ton of details -- but hey, that's what our die-cut machines are for anyway, right? However, the selection and size of shapes available make this tool very convenient, both in price and functionality. And there's also the space involved: not much at all.

This is one of the few items that will ever get an A+ from the Pooka.

Product Review: Sizzix

I have the original model, the Personal Die-Cutter, though most of the review applies to all three systems: The Personal, the Sidekick, and the BigKick. However, for anyone that will really be putting their machine to a lot of use, I recommend either the Personal or the BigKick — the Sidekick is a little more awkward to use, wobbles a bit, and won't take the larger dies.

First off, if you have a die-cut machine, and a Xyron, you are next to invincible when it comes to card-making and scrapbooking. No more buying someone else's die-cuts at 3-5 dollars a pop. The only money is in paper (cheap) and dies, which are not so cheap but usable over and over. Embossing dies are also available, greatly expanding your range of embellishments for pages.

It only takes a tiny bit of paper folding to go from a single die-cut to amazing borders and frames. An accordian fold of light-weight paper (this does not work with heavier cardstock), slightly smaller than your die, will create a connected border of the image. A snowflake fold (remember making paper snowflakes? Same fold), also slightly smaller than your die, will create wonderful frames of repeating images.

"But die-cut machines only make single color embellishments!" Actually, no. Every die has little score lines on it, marking places where different colours can be added for both colour, texture, and dimension. Simply cut a variety of paper, carefully cut along the score lines, and you get multi-coloured embellishments with a lot of pop. Holes in a die can have paper placed behind them, or just use the negative space created.

"But I like the dies from other brands, could I use them?" For the most part, YES! I've only tested the Cuttlebug dies so far, but they worked BEAUTIFULLY in my Sizzix. When you add in just those two brands, your range of die-cuts expands exponentially, and both brands have die-cuts, embossing dies, and texture plates. YES, texture plates! Texturize an entire section of paper with a single run through the machine, without spending hours embossing the pattern by hand.

Specific Product Review

I've heard that the Sizzix can be a little rough on weak or arthritic hands. It -can- be a bit difficult, but the key to using the machine is leverage, not hand strength. So long as you have it on a proper table, your body does most of the work for you. Note: The Cuttlebug dies I tried were actually much easier to use in the machine, and took a lot less pressure to make the cuts.

The only thing I dislike (caveat, it's not really a dislike, just a minor aggravation) is that you have to cut your paper down to fit inside the machine. Granted, if you cut the paper just enough to barely fit inside, and you're using the Sizzlits or equivalent size die, you can get multiple cuts from the same piece, just by adjusting how the dies fit.

You do need to practice with it, to learn just how much pressure is required for each individual die (some are a little slower to cut all the way through, but a second pass through the machine in the opposite direction usually fixes that), and the best positioning underneath the pressure plate. Larger dies will require a further push under the plate to get all of the die.

The Converter module is a necessity: it allows you to use the Sizzlits-size dies without use of multiple shims to make the die meet the pressure surface. There are adaptors available to use the Sizzlits, but they're less convenient, the Converter is definitely the way to go, and much steadier. You don't have to adjust the fit of the Converter, like you do the adaptors, and you don't have to readjust every time you slide the die through.

Dies range from the cheap, to the very expensive, though the expensive sets are all alphabets.

-Some of those alphabets are well worth the money, providing not just the letters, but blocks with negative space letters or shadow letters, full numbers, and punctuation. Got kids in school? Great for science fair projects, and other displays.

-Among the dies are 'build your own' paperdolls. You can buy a die with a basic body, dies for hair, dies for accessories, and dies for multiple clothing sets. Perfect to amuse kids, or make custom figures to put in a scrapbook.

-There is a wide assortment of seasonal dies for use in projects, and many remain usable the rest of the year — it's all in how you use them.

-Add in the Cuttlebug dies, and you've got an endless variety of dies for any use you may have.

The cutting pad is removable, not fixed, so you can make a "Sizzix sandwich" and layer your paper, die, and pad, then run it through the machine so that it cuts exactly where you want it to without slipping. When the pad starts to wear out, you can just turn it over and go till that side is too worn. Further paper shims can be used to keep the cutting pad up near the pressure plate, extending the life of the pad and decreasing the number of replacements you need to buy.

I won't say that I specifically recommend the Sizzix above other die-cut machines, though for ease of use, and cost compared to the higher end newer models, it's definitely worth the money if you want to customize your projects and make your own embellishments.

It gets an A from the Pooka.

Easy, full-motion Shaker Boxes

Hate Shaker boxes that just don't, well, shake? Me too. You go through all that effort, and then the goodies inside just don't wiggle around properly.

There's an easy way to fix that.

1 -- Measure your window size, and make a template, a bit smaller than the window size (about 1/4").

2 -- Using cheap craft foam (the thin stuff), trace the template, then mark around that line 1/4" away from it, and cut out that frame from the foam.

3 -- Glue the foam frame to your project, add in your goodies, add the cover, then add the final frame/cover/embellishments to cover the edges of the cover.

There's no sewing, or anything complicated to keep the shaking goodies inside the box. You get a complete seal all the way around, and a bit extra dimension, PLUS the Shaker box really shakes.

Movie Review: 300

I didn't see this in the theaters, and now I'm really regretting it.

'300' is based on a Frank Miller graphic novel -- that right there should put everyone that wants to see a 'historical' perspective on notice. You aren't watching a documentary, you're watching a live-action comic book.

And they pull it off beautifully. Literally. The cinematics are absolutely gorgeous, the visuals rich and disturbing. It's absolutely beautiful. Look for the dance of the Oracle near the beginning, and ... just wow. Almost hypnotic. Gorgeous.

I can't say much for the story, because I sort of zoned a bit on paying attention there -- I was that caught up in WATCHING all the pretty. Sometimes being a CGI nerd works against me, but I think drowning in all the pretty was a decent trade-out in losing some of the other things. I could have watched it with the sound off and still enjoyed seeing it, that's how pretty this movie is.

With that said ... I'm not going to call this a spectacular movie. It's a beautiful FILM, but as a movie, not quite as compelling. There's cheese-factor in the script (but again, graphic novel, hello), and Gerard Butler's lovely Scottish accent, while mostly controlled for this, still gives you a few twinge moments because it just doesn't fit. The eye-candy is amazing, both in cinematics, and the cast -- I swear there wasn't a single homely soldier among the 300 (a walking ad for Body Sculpting), which contrasted sharply with the freak-show horrors of Xerxes' army. The plot? Well, it's not like they really had to reach for depth there. 300 men face an endless legion of the enemy for the sake of freedom. End plot.

It's worth watching at least once.

Snarky Ink

/begin snark

Miami Ink is missing from the air ....
....
....
.... so that we can watch a show where 50% of the episode is dedicated to Kat talking about her BOOBS?

Where's the great stories about the tattoos, and what is behind them, and seeing the artistry?

"Dancing With Myself". I wonder if Kat even realizes that the song is way too appropriate for a self-centered twit like her? She comes off as so bloody shallow, despite her fluffy "Oh, I love the world!" persona that seriously seems forced. Or how potentially insulting that song can be for her "partners" and employees, all the artists that are REQUIRED to make a tattoo studio work ... to have the owner going on and on about ... herself?

Don't get me wrong -- the artists she has brought into the shop are AMAZING. I'd love to have work done by all of them -- even Kat, if her ego could stay out of the way -- and if I had the money, my butt would be in LA getting Hannah to do the mermaid that I want. After seeing the work from the other three artists they show, I even know the specific pieces I want from each of them -- although Corey would be handed a marker and told to have fun finishing my back. Yep yep yep

... but watching Kat is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me.

/end snark

Memory Wire in Crafting

It's not just for jewelry!

Several different companies make memory wire, in varying levels of cost and components. There's even some that's silver-plated, and you can find it in gold and silver tones.

Three different sizes are available: necklace, bracelet, and ring. Unless you have really big fingers, I can't see the ring wire fitting. HOWEVER, it has so many other uses, it's worth picking up a pack.

IMPORTANT: Never cut memory wire with your regular wire cutters for jewelry. Memory wire is tough stuff, and will notch and destroy your wire cutters. Purchase either cutters specific to memory wire, or pick up a heavy duty set at a home improvement center. You can also bend it back and forth to break it, but that can take a while and is a little tough on the hands.

-- Snip ring-sized memory wire about half an inch past a full loop. Bend one end into a tiny loop with round-nosed pliers. Now you can add on beads and charms for scrapbook or card embellishments, even use alphabet beads for mini-journaling.

-- They also make great wine-glass charms, so everyone at a party knows which glass is theirs.

-- You can cut multiple loops, and link them together into a chain to add dimension to scrapbook pages, with each loop capable of holding other embellishments.

-- For pet pages, choose beads and a 'dog tag' charm to mimic your pet's collar. You can even fold a matching ribbon in half, glue it shut, and thread it onto the wire.

-- Using the bracelet or necklace wire, do the ribbon fold and seal, and you have an instant dimensional circular frame for a photo or journaling section.

-- Engagement, wedding, or graduation? Sparkly sparkly beads, and a Swarovski crystal, and you can re-create school and engagement rings to put into your scrapbook.

Be creative!

Dog:1 Humans: 0

Had to go to the store to get more stuff for the party this afternoon (teenagers, eeesh, bottomless pits). As I start getting out of the car, my cellphone rings from home.

"Mom, can I give the dog a bath? She's GROUNDED!"

Oh lord. "What did she do this time?"

"Well, there's this hole that she and Nugget (the dog next door) have been digging in, and now she's all muddy after going through the hole into their yard and JUMPING INTO THEIR SWIMMING POOL!"

Yes, my Houdini Corgi got into the yard next door to go swimming.

It took both kids to give her a bath, and EVERYTHING in the house is currently damp and smelling of wet dog.

She's exceptionally proud of herself.

Oy.

I HAD to call the DH after I got off the phone with the kids to giggle the story to him.

Went to the neighbors once they got home to let them know about the swimming, and the hole in the fence. THEY thought it was funny, and couldn't believe Zoe managed to get through that hole. Stubborn little Houdini girl.

She was less thrilled with me putting her in the car afterward and taking her to the Mobile Vet at the feed store for shots and tags. -I- was thrilled that everything they did only cost me 70 bucks, where it's 100 just to walk in the door of my regular vet, without shots, tests, and meds.

New Addition

Gratuitous Pet Pic --
Our latest addition to the [s]zoo[/s] family:
ZOE

This is Zoe, the newest member of our household. They THINK she's about two years old or so, but they're not sure. She was a rescue dog, and was really scrawny when they got her. She had some weight back when the husband found her through the rescue group. Of course, we immediately had to toss her into a tub to deal with the fleas and ticks that were making the poor baby suffer.

Zoe is a Corgi/Blue Heeler mix. You can't tell in this shot, but she's got a lovely pure black saddle over her back, and she's got quite a curled fluffy fail.

She's an angel. A loving sweetheart. A few loyal and loving and DETERMINED sweetheart. The cats aren't so sure about all this. Now, they're reacting better to her than they did to us bringing our last cat into the house for the first time. They all went hostile on Largo, and stayed that way for some time. With Zoe, they only seem to hiss and get defensive and make warning noises if she gets into their faces. Doesn't stop Zoe from trying to give the kitties baths anyway. She really seems to love the kitties, hell, she loves anyone that will pay attention to her, and when the cats give her the "hiss off" routine, her ears droop and she gets puppy eyes and WHINES, looking to me like I can explain to her why kitty doesn't want to snuggle.

She's always following one of us. Usually, it's Thing 2, who has decided Zoe is HER dog. But really, anyone wanders off, and Zoe goes to find them. Anyone on the constant move, Zoe is right there at their side.

Once the cats adjust, I'm going to have to sleep in my chair -- there won't be enough room for me on the bed with everyone snuggled around the dog playing protector. Sigh. At least my chair is comfortable.

Eureka!

Okay, I'm a Sci-Fi geek. I admit it freely.

Eureka was a TV show that was just to be used as filler last summer, when all the other shows were in reruns. It rapidly became a runaway hit with a large fan base. And I can see why -- Eureka was fantastic. Intelligent, snarky, great characters (even the bad guys), and a sharp writing team, the dialogue was Real and quite funny.

It survived, unlike a lot of other filler shows.

The new season of Eureka started this week, on the Sci-Fi channel, Tuesday nights. Like last year, the DVR is set to record every episode. I haven't watched this one yet (the DH is a fan too, and since he's in OKC until the weekends, I'm saving the watching for him being home), but from what I've seen and read, this season is going to be just as good as the last one.

It helped fill an empty little hole in my heart, the one where Firefly used to live. Sure, it's not in the future, or in space, but it's just as smart and funny, and the characters just as Real. Nothing will ever replace my beloved Firefly, but Eureka definitely helps.

If you haven't given it a watch, I highly recommend it. That, and Sheriff Carter and 'bad guy' Stark are both fabulous eye-candy.

Mourning SG-1

SO, the final episode of Stargate SG-1 has come and gone. The end of a wonderful 10 years, and I'm not particularly happy about it.

This kills my Friday night TV viewing. Sure, Atlantis is still on, and some of the cast will be moving to that show, and they ARE doing SG-1 movies to finish out storylines that weren't tied up by the final episode, but darnit, this is killing me.

And poor Ben Browder and Claudia Black -- they seem doomed to be on cancelled TV shows. First Farscape, now SG-1.

So, does anyone have any recommendations on what the heck there is to watch on Friday nights now

Why I am Not Currently a Useful Pooka

I've been feeling awful lately. Constantly exhausted and fatigued, everything aches, I'm shaky, my head hurts ...

Turns out my blood pressure meds aren't working. When I went in today to the doctor, I got the OMFGBBQ stare. My BP, ON meds, was 154/114. They did a blood draw to check kidney and liver function, and surprisingly, everything was Perfectly Normal. At least I'm not killing myself with all the pain meds. It's just everything else that's trying to kill me.

I get back from the doctor today, to find out that a dear friend has finally lost her battle with cancer.

There's other really unpleasant stresses going on that aren't helping with my miserable health.

Darnit, I need a hug. *SIGH*.

So, I finally DO get a new diagnosis -- not a surprise, considering that every time I see a doc, they tell me something else is wrong with me. This one, though, was a relief.

Vasovagal syncope. A new diagnosis for my lengthy list, but at least it means I'm not having regular mild heart attacks -- I'm just screwed up in another totally new way, yay me.

(Note: "Syncope is usually preceded by at least a few seconds of symptoms that may consist of visual disturbances, buzzing in the ears, lightheadedness, sweating, nausea, or other symptoms. Individuals who have had syncopal episodes usually have an excellent idea of what prodromal symptoms to expect. It is important to recognize these symptoms, because if you do, syncope can be averted virtually 100% of the time by lying down and elevating your legs. If instead, you choose to fight the episode, you're likely to pass out in the frozen foods section, and the store manager will insist (for well-founded legal reasons) on shipping you to the E.R. in an ambulance – where you'll be subjected to a battery of unnecessary tests and probably an overnight stay in the hospital." -- amen. At least I'm used to this happening, and know how to keep me from passing out in the middle of a place, like I almost did Sunday night when I had another attack. Sheesh.)

My BP meds were upped again, just to be sure as well. I go back in two weeks to check my BP with the new meds, and go through a whole fasting physical and some massive amounts of bloodwork to narrow down the list of why I'm constantly run into the ground.

I'm tired of this shit. Can I go home yet?

Ah, Spring in Tornado Alley

I can't believe how fast I got both kids and all four cats into the safety of the laundry room when the sirens started going off.

Weather is NASTY tonight in N TX.

No idea yet just how many tornadoes touched down, but it's several. Haltom City got totally hammered. Lots of damn good funnel cloud and tornado images from storm spotters, now they just have to figure out how many there really were.

Luckily, other than some heavy wind, heavier rain, and golf-ball hail, things weren't TOO bad here (they think the hail set off the sirens). Reports of up to baseball hail at the airport, about 5 miles from us. Fox 4 News went totally off the air for about an hour -- apparently their broadcast tower got hit by lightning.

However, there's another cell forming behind the first wave, and heading our way, so we're not entirely out of the woods yet tonight. Maybe 10-15 before it hits us. Whee.

Spring, in North Texas. Are we having fun yet?

Card Making

I love playing with watercolours!

The scanner didn't pick up some details, like the shimmer of the embossing powder used on the outlines, or the shimmers of the PearlEx used in some of the detailing, like on the dragonfly wings on the first card, and the coins on the second. Ah well.

The Pain in My Brain is Mainly...

... down the drain. Goneish. Yay.

I called my regular pain clinic last Monday because I just couldn't handle the pain and the puking anymore. Surprisingly, they said "Is Friday good?" FUCK yeah! The doc even wrote me another pain med scrip to hold me out till then.

Friday: HUGE storm rolls in. Tornado watch, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Flash Flood Warning. Panic wonders what will happen if I'm on the table and they're shoving the needles into my skull and the power goes out. Like any normal person, I'm terminally afraid of hearing a doctor say "Oooops."

But the storm cell passed, leaving a few hour period between it and the next one, and things went off without a hitch.

Feeling pretty good, considering. I can actually open my eyes without light causing stabbing pain, and the uber headaches are absent. The back of my head aches a bit, but when you think about how many needles got poked around in there, that makes sense. Next 48 hours will be touch and go with pain as my body reacts to the intrusion there, but I've got ice packs and pain drugs, so I should be all right.

It's nice, to not feel like my brain is going to ooze out through my eye sockets.

Got another scrip for pain meds that I haven't even bothered to fill. Awesome!

Saturday: Watched some J-Horror, and slept a lot. YAWNING a lot. Now that was cool. Tired. Tired because my body is recovering and trying to heal and make up for lost sleep, instead of just being overall exhausted. Took it easy most of the day, did a little shopping with a kidlet to get some entertainment, got food -- and was actually HUNGRY -- then snoozed. A lot.

Sunday: Tired. So tired. But it's tired in a good way, it's the healing kind of tired, instead of overall exhaustion. The kind of tired where I actually YAWN. My body is trying to heal itself, and make up for the lack of quality sleep. Another day or two, and hopefully I'll be caught up and back on track.

Running a low-grade fever, which is nothing to be concerned about with me. It's just how my body reacts to 'abuse' like having multiple needles shoved into my skull. Nothing serious, nothing high-grade or over 100, just enough to feel a bit under the weather.

But I'm down to just one prescription pain med, instead of several drugs in combination, and my stomach is already much happier. Reflux is behaving to the point that I've only had to take Prilosec once since Friday, and that was because I got a little carried away with the "OMFG I'm HUNGRY!!!" and ate things that irritated my stomach. Yes, I'm actually hungry again, and keeping food down without massive nausea.

Haven't had to use the icepack for tenderness on the back of my skull since Friday, which is great. I'm sleeping in any position I want without owies there. And other than the fact that the sun was out yesterday for the first time in days withou any cloudcover, light isn't bothering me. THAT kind of bright bothers me even when I don't hurt, since my eyes are over-photosensitive and always have been.

I should even be able to endure the noise and light of a movie theater next weekend if DG comes home.

Still haven't filled the pain meds. I don't really need them, and I had some left over from earlier in the week. I <3 my nerve blocks.

Right now, I just want to snuggle up in bed with someone that appreciates J-Horror and watch a few movies so I don't feel as bad about dozing off in the middle of the day for a well-earned nap.

Yawn. Night night.

Is it April Yet?

And make a wish.

Oh god, what a week.

First off, the brain spikes are back in full force, leaving me clumsy, disoriented, and in constant pain. The new neurologist that I was recommended to won't be back in the office till Monday so I can't even get an appointment yet -- grr. I need another occipital nerve block BAD.

So of course, that can't POSSIBLY be enough stress. Noooooo, never.

Yesterday, I get a call from Thing 2's school. She's in the vice-principal's office, and in trouble. Big trouble. Great. It's a long story, and I'm not even going to get into it because my blood pressure is already through the roof from TODAY, much less going back and reminding myself about yesterday. Let's just say that she's seriously grounded, and leave it at that.

TODAY, I walk outside to get the mail, to find an ambulance and fire truck across the street. Fuck.

See, the neighbors there are literally adoptive grandparents for the Things. Their own grandkids are far away, and they know that the Things grandparents are a distance away, so it was a mutual adoption all the way around. These are the people that saved my ass on Halloween when I fucked up my ankle. The wife is the one that drove me to the ER, and stayed with me the entire time, holding my hand and generally being wonderful, while the husband watched the Things for me till we got home. They go to almost all of Thing 1's band concerts. The husband is the cop that helps watch out for us when DG is out in the field. In short, they're fantastic people.

And I walk out to see her being loaded into an ambulance. Right. Cue panic attack. I race over there, to realize that she's so out of it she doesn't even notice I'm there. ACK! I ask if the husband is there, to make sure she has someone to go up with her, despite the fact that I needed to pick Thing 2 up soon. Luckily, he is -- along with the other neighbor that takes Thing 2 to school. Yes, this neighborhood is that tight. We take care of each other.

They THINK she just got really dehydrated, and I'm all too familiar with how bad that can mess you up.

So I go pick up Thing 2, and then Thing 1 and her Rukia-clone buddy (and I swear I want to adopt both her and her older sister, those kids are great), get Pooka's Taxi Service all sorted out and the kids where they all need to be, and go up to the ER.

She was doing much better when I got there, not as pale, and actually made a joke that the tables had turned and it was her turn, and wasn't I supposed to be the one flat on my back on a gurney? Good sign. They expect her to go home later, after the blood work comes back and she gets another bag or two in her IV, but they too think it's just dehydration.

It then becomes my job to make the update phone calls, to take some of the burden off him. Neighbor is updated, Thing 1 is updated (and starts sobbing with relief, she REALLY adores these people), and Thing 2 is now busy working on a Get Well card.

All this, on top of the brain spikes and the resulting clumsies and crankies, and me being too damn exhausted from constant pain to really be functional and do anything, plus DG of course being off in OKC, and the whole 'single mom' thing, and, oh yes, my MOMSTER deciding at 8:30 on Sunday night to SHOW UP AT MY HOUSE because they were in town for a train show.

I had to figure out how to get the energy to a softball game, since half of Thing 1's friends were in the game, and ALL have adopted me as the Coolest Mom Evah and want me to be there to help cheer em on. They lost both games. I doubt I qualify as a good luck charm. And of course, I got sunburned, first scorch of the year.

There ain't enough anti-anxiety meds in the world to deal with this week. I think I may drive out to the Temple later and inhale some zen.

Pan's Labyrinth and Felted Grapevine Cuff

First off, if you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, what in the HELL are you people waiting for? It's definitely an 'adult' faerie tale, and although my 10 year-old really enjoyed it, it certainly isn't for all kids, so parents beware. While it isn't particularly scary, it is a bit graphic on the violence in places, and some of the themes (all right, MOST of them) are pretty dark, but it is utterly amazing. The 3 Oscars it earned were much deserved.

Faerie fans, it's a Must See, preferably in a theater to get the full visuals. It's a beautiful film.

Two Pooka Thumbs Up.

Next, the obligatory Quality Control Inspector visual:



Don't ask about the camo yoga pants. Shut up, they're comfortable.

The newest felted bracelet:

This is about the second stage or so, after the base has been wet felted. The grapes are needle felted onto the base.


Then, I wet felted up a sheet for the leaves, cut them out, needle felted them on, and added in some wool yarn for the twining vines.



Last step was the velcro closure.

Bracelets, Faeries, and Quality Control

My quality control inspector has been quite busy. I'm not entirely sure if he approves of the felting process (mostly because it keeps him out of my lap).

The following three bracelets were for an order, and have been shipped and received.









"I believe in faeries..." This is the 'simple' version of this bracelet. I've yet to do the complicated version -- just not capable yet.





And the felting ....


The colours are off here, I was experimenting with my camera settings. The next two pictures show about the correct colouring for the felt. This will be a wrist cuff when completed.

Only the dry felting has been done so far -- wet felting being beyond me at the moment.



I want my life and energy level back. Now.

Pierced "Freaks" only ... heh

Just out of curiosity -- anyone else out there with a nose piercing interested in custom surgical steel nostril screws with a pure silver design?

I am, of course, going to do a dragonfly for myself, and probably something else I haven't quite figured out yet. (Hell, maybe a crayon!)

I think I've found a pretty good site for ordering the surgical steel posts, but I was wondering, since shipping wouldn't increase if I added a few more (but would if I ordered more a second time), if anyone else was interested.

I DO have sterling silver flat ear posts that are about as long as the 'curve it yourself' nose screws I currently have, though one pair is already dedicated to Thing 1's silver strawberry studs, and I'm going to attempt a first one with these and see how it works out.

I -will- admit now that they won't be particularly cheap, just due to the silver costs for the PMC to do the design, but they won't be ridiculous, either. I'm guesstimating around 20-25 each.

Anyone interested?

Felting Classes

Or, "thank God it's over."

Actually, teaching the class wasn't that bad. I only ended up with 11 or so students (surprisingly, three guys in the class, whoa! That was a reality check.), which Thing 1 said was actually the most they've had in a LONG time. Cool.

I had a few kids that were really sharp and seemed to love the idea of felting, and what all could be done with it. A few were slow, and never really caught on. One of the kids had a really good eye for design, and a decent amount of talent when HE applied himself and didn't just laze through it. Yes, He.

Sammi, the kids had FITS over the colours -- you done GOOOOOD. They also had a blast when I walked through the beginning, showing them the absolutely raw just shorn and funky wool (they got a big kick out of sniffing it, lol), the different rovings (the girls got the giggles over the angora and all glared at Thing 1, who has an angora sweater), and how each stage affected the fibers. Even went through the "why we never use scissors" routine.

The regular teacher thanked me profusely. See, a month or two ago, she took a weekend class on felting, and apparently it was a Very Professional Class, and the methods they taught were so complicated, she lost some interest. Well, she's got her interest back in a big way, and thanked me for making it easy enough to follow. Hell, folks, I taught Thing 2 how to do it a few days ago, teens are no big deal.

And she wants me back. So do the kids.

Vengeance is MINE, sayeth the Things

White as far as the eyes can see out my front door. It's not just snow, it's sleet, too. And lots of it. And it's freakin COLD out there. 27*.

School is, of course, closed. The Things were positively SMUG about the whole thing.

I guess it explains why I was in so much pain that I still haven't been to bed yet. Though at least I've been productive. I've got a canvas prepped, the rim spackled for texture and the first coat of colour on it, and some of the collage elements figured out.

Edit: Got the collage piece done, if only I could figure out how to get pics from my cell phone to my email ... oy. Decoupage is my friend. I'd forgotten the smell of Mod Podge, brings back a whole lot of memories.

Lighter cover -- tubular peyote

This was a fun project. I picked up a great coffee table book called "Gold of the Pharaohs", and it had some wonderful examples of Egyptian beadwork in it.

I picked out a few colours that were close, and just started beading.

Tubular peyote, no pattern, Delica beads. I just winged it as I went, loosely basing it off the bracelets of Queen Ahhotep. The middle section has the hieroglyph "Nefer", meaning beauty.



The colours are off in the photo, the gold is very antiqued-looking, and the red and turquoise aren't quite so bright.

Dragonfly (in progress)

When completed (I've already got the ultrasuede cut for the backing), this will be the centerpiece on a collar.

Ignore the cat hair visible in the work. My boys "help" me when I work, including trying to eat the thread. They feel a piece isn't complete until they shed on it.



The antennae will be twisted wire and beads.
Combination of 15/0, Delicas, 11/0 hex, #1 and #2 bugles.

I've got some lovely AB matte Magatamas to go around the outside.

Closeup of a wing:



Yes, I know some of the beads aren't flat, the piece puckered a bit as I worked, but it's not finished and I'll go back and ensure that everything is down right and secure before adding it to the suede backing.

Gravity Works

Oh yes, gravity works. Unfortunately.

Halloween started out pretty good. I had my nifty witch costume on and got a lot of compliments (especially on the fuzzy tarantula I was wearing on my shoulder), but there weren't a lot of trick or treaters out. After it got slow, I put the Things in the car, and we went over to a neighborhood where a bunch of Thing 1's friends were. I was herding around quite a group of kids, when I had to break and take one of them home.

On the way to the car, me and my screwed up neurological system decided that it was going to forget how to walk. Next thing I knew, I was coming down on my left leg, and my ankle snapped sideways underneath me. I hit the ground, but at least I know how to fall, so I just have a skinned right knee .... and the ankle.

It immediately started swelling up and totally filled the combat boot. I managed to drive everybody home, with a whole lot of whimpering and groaning. Then I made the big mistake. I took the boot off.

At that point, the Things bolted for the neighbors. One took me to the ER, while the other took the kids.

It's not broken. That's the BAD news.

The ER doc told me I'd have been better off I HAD broken it. Every Single Tendon and ligament in my ankle is fucked up. Those that aren't torn are pulled. I'm in a hideously annoying splint for at least 3 weeks, and on crutches for that long as well. I also was ORDERED to see an orthopedist to work on trying to handle the damage. Hopefully I can see the same one that rebuilt my arm and worked on DG's ankle.

Unfortunately, they gave me the exact same pain meds I regularly take, so for this intense new pain, they ain't doin squat. I HURT.

And of course, DG is off and working, so it's just the wounded and crippled me here with the kids. Fun fun fun.

SO .... how was YOUR Halloween?

Still can't sleep right.

Got the phone call this morning from the animal hospital. Zam's ashes are ready for us to pick up. Sigh.

I still keep looking for him, expecting him to be there. It hasn't entirely registered that he's gone and not coming back, but there's a big empty space, not just in the house, but inside me.

I'm not the only one. Ozymandius is having serious issues. Zamboni was his play partner. Felimid is too fat and lazy to play chase, and Harley just runs and hides. Now he chases the Things around the house when they're wearing skirts or anything that dangles. I'm going to have to buy some new toys to entertain him.

Now, when -anyone- leaves the house, Ozzy sits and HOWLS. I went through the grief-stricken kitty hysterics three times this morning, when DG left, and when each of the Things left for school. Add this to my inability to sleep, then the phone call, and getting back to sleep was right out.

Ozzy just started the mournful howling again. Thing 2 left to go to a friend's house.

He's become Velcro cat. Follows us around the house, pounces immediately, Must Have Lovings Now. Poor Oz has become completely neurotic and paranoid with Zam gone.

Double sigh. We just got a sympathy card in the snail mail from the animal hospital. They did good by Zam, and the card is just another example of how well they try to treat both the pets and the people that love them.

Is it September yet? I think I've had enough of August already.

Goodbye, my friend

Stick a fucking fork in me, I'm done.

Zamboni went from his normal loving Maine Coon self to hiding. One night, he was normal kitty. Next day, after not seeing him all day, I hunted him down to find him hiding under Thing 2's dresser. He was yellow. Skin, eyes, mouth. Overfuckingnight. Don't ask me to spell the hepatic whatever.

We took him to the vet immediately. He'd been there since Thursday, I think. This last week has blurred with everything else going on. He wouldn't eat at all, he was on an IV, they were having to force feed him. He wasn't improving, but he was at least stable.

Until today. When DG went in to see him, he was just laying there and drooling. DG knew something was really wrong when they took him straight to a room instead of to Zam's cage.

I know DG made the right decision in having the vet go ahead and put him down. Zam was suffering, and the vet thinks there may have been a cancer involved, or some other problem they hadn't found yet, because this sort of mass liver failure usually attacks older cats.

What sends me into total hysterics is that DG didn't come home and get me first. I didn't get to say goodbye. I'm mad, I'm furious, I'm hysterical. This was MY cat. I know that he didn't want me to go through it again after Blackthorne, but dammit....











The vet will send his ashes home to us. I need to find the perfect container. If anyone has any ideas, please help, because right now I can't think straight at all.

Letter to the Devil

Dear Lucifer,

I apologize for all of the snow you've been recently inundated with. I realize that your enviroment is not designed for such elaborate amounts of ice and cold, however, while I am sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing you, I must say that the circumstances enabling hell to freeze over have been created by such sadistic virulence that I think you would be proud of me.

You see, I found myself swept up into a massive cleaning spree, and apparently it was contagious in ways that I had never dreamed of. Now while in the past I have been known as a neat freak, and obsessive about keeping things organized (even my 'clutter' is organized, I know where everything is and why it is there), in the past few years I have just simply been unable to maintain my former diligence. I'm certain that the initial light snowfall was little problem for your continued operations, but now I realize that the scale must have increased to a magnitude approaching total shutdown.

Critical mass of hell freezing over, if you will.

While I have not yet been able to infect my rebellious offspring with the cleaning virus as of yet, it has been passed on to one who, for the most part, has spent all the years I've known him as -- well, there's just no kinder, gentler words for it -- a slob. Certainly, the virus has yet to reach complete cellular amplification in his system, for one still cannot walk in the small space along his side of the bed.

However, when one takes into account that he's finally cleared out boxes that have been in place and blocking not only my dresser, but his dresser, his desk, the closet, and the walkway to the bathroom since we moved into this house several years ago, you'll see that there is a more than valid reason why the cold front has set in and you're now having to deep freeze the damned instead of roasting them over pits of lava.

I hope that Hell's version of FEMA is far quicker to respond to your current disaster than ours is, and that your order of snowplows and shovels arrives soon. You may want to add parkas to your purchase order as well (and I do know how difficult it will be to find a manufacturer that takes tails and horns into account, but I'm certain someone with the resources you have available will prevail), for the disease is still progressing with no end in sight.

In closing, while the saying does go that "cleanliness is next to godliness," I would like to point out that conniving, pleading, manipulating, and infecting others into doing half the work for me should still help ensure my position there in the future.

Keep my seat warm.

Pooka

And now for something completely similar

I'm sure I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but at least for now the playback is without all the nasty scratchy sounds.

Had my follow-up appointment with the pain clinic. Unfortunately, my COBRA'd insurance won't pay for PT with that clinic, but they will pay for it elsewhere, so as soon as things settle down a bit with DG's new job, I'll be starting 'occupational therapy' instead of straight old boring PT.

They're also setting me up for biofeedback and meditation to try and help control my response to pain surges, so that I can THINK my way to lower blood pressure and less agony. Taking into account what I've seen about Buddhist monks being able to totally control their bodies through thought -- even body temperature -- it's certainly possible to do it.

Considering the pain psychologist's commentary about me, I believe that to be entirely possible in my case. He said that I was already in the proper mindset for pain management, at a point that he said he usually doesn't see in patients until they've been coming to the clinic for months, so I'm already ahead of the game. Impressed him several times, the weight loss totally blew his mind, and convinced him even more that I was going to be a successful patient. Shiny.

The horrible brain spikes are still absent. This is just amazing, I feel like a totally different person at this point. Sure, I still have normal pain, and the burning throbbing from the RSD, but it's all tolerable pain that I'm used to by now. So long as my head isn't exploding, I can handle just about anything. Still get the dull headaches from the Chiari, but they're tolerable.

And I'm FUNCTIONAL again. I've been out of the house more often since the nerve block than I had in the year before that point. I've totally torn apart and reorganized my office space. Ditto to the bedroom, and not just my side of it, but have most of the rest of it under something resembling control.

It helps the mindset, with everything going on, to see at least SOME sign of organization and control. I may not be able to control everything, but I can control my personal space and sometimes, that's all that matters.

I have a curling iron now for my hair, which has actually been used. My way-too-old makeup has been tossed out, the remainder reorganized, and I actually wear it from time to time. I wear nailpolish again, even though I have to keep my nails ridiculously short because of the way they curve under.

Been reading like a fiend as well. Lots of quantum physics, forensic science (pathology, psychology, crime scene), epidemiology. While my mind still isn't as reliable as it was years ago, without the intense pain it's easier to concentrate and pay attention.

The Things have finally gone back to school, which is an inordinate amount of relief to stress. Kids were starting to drive me screaming up the walls bugnuts insane this summer. They seem to be adjusting pretty well, with few dramatic angsty moments (so far, but you know how teens can be).

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

Image Stream - Ephemera

A random collection of new pieces off the tip of my digital "crayons."


Dead Man's Party
"You’re late," Dax rumbled.

"You started without me."

"Negative. They started it." Dax ignored the incredulous look Liya spared him as she reloaded.

"I suppose you just ‘returned fire,’ then?" Liya scowled. "Self-defense, was it? May want to duck first next time, cowboy."

Dax’s sigh turned into a groan as he handed her another round of shells.

"I’m really going to feel this tomorrow."



Caladorn
"Caladorn -- Tree of Light, he calls you."

Laurel is in trouble in the Dreaming again -- or is she? An enchanted harp in the hands of a bard ...



Siren
Character portrait to replace an old one that I got lazy on.

I hate trying to paint webbed hands. The gills turned out nicely, I think, but the hands ... meh.


Coming of Shadows
I don't know WHO put this particular expression on Liya's face, but I sure hope they've got really good insurance and have made their peace with whatever God they believe in.

Objects at Rest

Do you know what it's like to wake up, get out of bed, move around, get your morning caffeine, check mail, and take a shower without effort or pain?

I had forgotten what that was like.

Oh, sure, my body still aches, but I'm used to that, been living with it for so many years that it's nothing for me. It was the headaches that really got to me, and made me almost completely unable to function. Never have dealt well with pain above the neck; earaches, headaches, toothache, etc. Over 300 days of headache, well, you forget what "normal life" feels like.

The injection sites are still tender, but only really ache when touched -- like taking a shower. But it wasn't bad, just caused a few winces.

Got a party to go to tonight, and I'm actually looking forward to being social for a change. It's different, when your brain isn't trying to explode and ooze out your ears and eyes.

I have another appointment at the pain clinic August 4th, to start the actual pain management program, total profile, complete workup, and they're getting all my MRI results. I really liked the doc, too. I'm finally getting real help with conditions that are never going to go away.

Shiny!

Post-Op Update

I'm home.

The initial local has worn off, and the sites are a little sore, not bad. Got an icepack on it now, lounging in bed.

BUT ....

My head doesn't hurt.

I mean Does Not Hurt. I can turn my head without turning my entire body, and pain doesn't explode. I can look up. I can look down. I can COUGH without my head detonating. For the first time in a year (without the one day where I had benefits of morphine), my head DOESN'T HURT.

Still a little fuzzy from the Versed, but otherwise, things are looking pretty shiny.

T.M.S.

Not TMI, TMS -- or Too Much Shit.

So, I was looking in my purse of holding (just ask Jon -- and yes, Jon, I'm still using that same brown stressed-leather purse I had in DC), trying to find ... well, something, that completely escapes me now like most thoughts do these days.

Now, keep things in mind. In DC, my purse not only held all my vacation need stuff, but all of Jon's while we were out as well, with room to spare.

On the way to Houston for Christmas, knowing we had to go through some Really Bad Places to reach my parent's house, this same purse, along with all my necessary road trip stuff, held the Beretta, along with 3 full clips.

The asides done, as I went in, just digging and not looking (hey, we females usually don't have to look, we know what's in there) and my hand kept hitting metal. A lot of it -- and it wasn't the same thing, over and over. Curious.

So, in the spirit of "What the hell", I dumped my purse out for a regular cleaning. And found:

-- my mini-Swiss army knife
-- my Mini Pal punch blade
-- a 4" hooked Fury serrated knife
-- 4" serrated Gerber knife
-- and that I was missing my actual Gerber multi-tool.

I have four knives in my purse. Why in the name of screaming sweet baby Jesus do I have four knives in my purse? I could not tell you.

There's also a blow-torch lighter, my metal credit card Bill of Rights, an LED flashlight, and a bottle opener. Two pens, a notebook, copy of "Get a Grip on Physics", bottle of meds, 4 shooter's earplugs, bandaids, hairbrush, dental floss, powder compact, lip balm, packet of tissues. And a purple crayon.

Yes, not just any crayon, but a single lonely purple crayon in my purse.

Huh. So, I examine my bedside table, where I'm sitting.

-- 7 bottles of meds
-- three candles, two lit
-- 2 bottles of eardrops for chronic swimmer's ear
-- EIGHT tubes of lip balm
-- 2 bottles of moisturizer
-- scissors and hemostats
-- resin 'goblet' with half a dozen orphan jewelry bits
-- an uber powerful Sylvania Dot It LED light for emergencies
-- Oh, yes, and a fully loaded Beretta.

This makes me really not want to look at my desk.

1 am. Happy Birthday to me. I'm going to clean up my mess as a present to myself.

Now where the hell is my Gerber?

Objects in Motion

We're not in such a great place right now. Okay, a pretty bad place. Husband has lost his job, which means no money, no insurance -- well, you get the idea. Without insurance, my meds alone are 1200 a month. He's diabetic, which means he needs meds too. Which he's ignoring, but I'm used to that.

He COBRA'd my insurance so I'd have it through July, which actually enabled some real progress to finally be made with my last neurologist visit.

Bad News: Add Occipital Neuralgia to my list of Things Wrong With Pooka

Good News: It earned me a trip to (wait for it) ... A PAIN CLINIC!

My appointment at the pain clinic is this Thursday for a nerve block on my occiptal nerve, which -should-, theoretically, take care of the worst of the break-through and OMFGSBJ Can I Die? headaches.

I'm supposed to be there several hours. I already got the phone call, with the "no food after 8:30, clear liquids only" orders. So I know it's not just a background and history visit. People trying to HELP me. Whodda thunk it?

So it's going to be two days late to be a 'real' birthday present for me, but who counts when it's a GOOD present, right?

Pain relief. Better than freakin diamonds, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, who am I kidding, I don't really like diamonds anyway. Better than a new 260 gb hard drive and a 21" flatscreen monitor. Yeah, now THAT works!

Yep. I'm turning 38 tomorrow.

No fretting over aging at this point, I mean, I'm already poking 40 with a short stick, and my body is going about its unnatural business and aging faster than my years spent breathing anyway. Maybe it's a flux in quantum mechanics, or my body is going by "mileage" instead of "years". I suppose that would quantify out why my body is definitely trying to push the 65+ range instead of a nice perfectly normal 38.

So, the List:

--Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndome (RSD/CRPS)
--Fibromyalgia (which I argue with after the new findings)
--Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (same argument, just symptoms misread)
--Osteoarthritis
--Arnold Chiari Malformation I
--Cervical Spinal Stenosis
--Peripheral Neuropathy
--Occipital Neuralgia


Quite a doozy to look at, huh? And of course, I'm already wearing bifocals, which I knew I needed, but never realized how much till I had them, and suddenly I could read things again without doing the "find the right distance" dance.

The List sort of destroys the whole "aging gracefully" concept. There's very little graceful about me anymore. I stay bruised from stumbling, bouncing into things, and half the time not even feeling the impacts that leave the marks.

About the only part that IS aging gracefully is my face. Which is weird, since that's one of the places that usually shows signs first. But no, you can look at my hands and tell, but I am surprisingly free of most wrinkles and lines on my face. Granted, my face is now so gaunt that there's not much to help make wrinkles visible, but trust me, I've LOOKED for them, and I really don't have the things.

I guess you take what you got, and that has to be good enough.

Bored = Teh Bad?

Oh dear.

When I get bored, I get weird. When I get weird, I get creative. And then things just go downhill.

I did ... things ... to my hair.

Um. "Newly spilt blood" is sort of close to the colour, but doesn't quite cover it. Dark raspberry, maybe?

Hell, I don't know.



Happy?

It's a bit more orange than that, I just couldn't get the lighting to capture the full ... bizarreness of this colour. Odd that now I match my journal, which in some way I find remotely disturbing.

And yes, yes, that nose and those cheekbones CAN cut glass, so shut it.

Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Well ... no surgery for now. The Chiari hasn't changed in size, thus, no surgery. Okay, fine.

It gets better.

C4-C5 disc is ... uncooperative. Bulging, was the word used. Cervical Spinal Stenosis, for accuracy. "Avoid car wrecks and whiplash and you should be fine." Hah.

(Teri's comment was "...and you told them to avoid attempts at humor?")

There are lesions on my brain. I have RSD, which is degerative. I have a cervical disc hating on me. I have Chiari --- AND YET MY @#$#*& NEUROLOGIST CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY I HAVE HAD A HEADACHE FOR 300 DAYS!

(Teri's addition: "Because your neurologist has never had a headache? and is a borderine moron?" I love her.)

He tells me it's just migraines -- cept, migraine drugs don't help. He tells me the Chiari isn't bad enough for all the symptoms -- cept, every Chiari patient and everyone on my Chiari list says that at ANY point it's enough to SHOW on an MRI, it's enough to be a problem.

Though his confusion boggles me after looking at the patient receipt with the ICD-9 codes and diagnoses on it. Compression of the brain. Cervical Spinal Stenosis. RSD. And yet he's confused. Uh huh.

Today, he decided to go for a dual attack -- an anti-depressant that also is used to treat headaches and neurological pain, particularly the peripheral neuropathy I have -bad-. And you know what?

AFTER 300 DAYS OF HEADACHE, DAMN STRAIGHT I'M DEPRESSED!

"Okay. I'm lost, I'm angry ... and I'm armed."

Yeah, I took the drugs.

I wonder what my GP has for rising homicidal mania.

Jude the Obscure

Ren ci de shang di, xing dai wo zou.
Wo xiang mei er, mei xin, biar shi tou.



(Loose English Translation: "Merciful God, please take me away. I will close my ears and my heart and I will be a stone.")

... You can tune a piano ....

So, interesting.

I just heard Jethro Tull's "Bouree" coming from Thing 1's bedroom. Shiny. Good taste, that kid ... wait.

There's no other background music. Just the flute.

And then it hits me.

It's Thing 1.

I check. Sure enough, it's Thing 1, doing a reasonable enough Ian Anderson impression that from this distance, I didn't know it wasn't Tull at first.

She doesn't have the music. She's playing by ear.

Damn.

Oh, my lovely Hobbit lass, I wish you were closer to give her more music lessons.

Brain Drain

My neuro appointment was this morning.

I got the call an hour ago that they had already contacted insurance, and the MRI was approved.

Just got the phone call to set up my appointment.

It's Wednesday. Like, as in the 7th Wednesday.

Efficiency in action -- is this even legal?

Wow.

EDIT: No, it's NOT legal, apparently. You see, AETNA (refer to previous Asshat posts) won't pay for "two area" MRIs in a single day. They'll be doing both brain and cervical to check for SM as well as the Chiari.

So, Wednesday AND Thursday. Two fun days of MRI machines.

At least they managed to work it so we only have a single copay for it, but DAMN.