Monday, January 26, 2009
NFB online. Happy happy.
Got time to kill? Want to watch Canadian documentaries and films? Sure you do! The NFB has 700 films on their site now to watch for free baby. Get in on that here at the NFB.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Bag lady
Oh my crab, I am so computer fatigued. We thought eloping would make life easier but there is still quite a bit of planning. Finding hotel rooms mainly. Being extremely picky and enjoying complicating things as much as possible, well, I've been pretty occupied trying to get it all in order and over with.
Plane tickets are bought and in the nick of time. The price went up 200 dollars the day after we bought them. So phew on that. Anyhoo anyhoo. We will get married April 17th. We'll have 2 days in Portland before and 2 after and we found someone to cat sit.
It took a long time for us to figure out the right way to go about this whole getting married thing. We feel really excellent about our choice. I'm happy about that.
On other fronts:
Why not peruse some of the bags I've finished this far. I'm learning as I go along. Getting waaay better at linings and feeling like I can add more features and detailing to the newer bags. We'll see what happens.
Oh and yes, that is the cat, perching on my back like a sphinx while I toil on the floor, hunched over a bag.
Plane tickets are bought and in the nick of time. The price went up 200 dollars the day after we bought them. So phew on that. Anyhoo anyhoo. We will get married April 17th. We'll have 2 days in Portland before and 2 after and we found someone to cat sit.
It took a long time for us to figure out the right way to go about this whole getting married thing. We feel really excellent about our choice. I'm happy about that.
On other fronts:
Why not peruse some of the bags I've finished this far. I'm learning as I go along. Getting waaay better at linings and feeling like I can add more features and detailing to the newer bags. We'll see what happens.
Oh and yes, that is the cat, perching on my back like a sphinx while I toil on the floor, hunched over a bag.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Balance to prevent unsaneness.
Worries about cat sitting aside (AAAHHH we need a cat sitter!!), many centimeteres of snow fell yesterday. That, plus drifting had me shoveling thigh high snow just to be able to get out the front door. Exciting...for about 2 seconds and then annoying. Anyhoo.
I've designated January a "work on stuff" month. The working on stuff has manifested as a plan to make some bags with this pile of material I bought in Ikea's as-is section. A former couch cover, very durable stuff. I figure, if they turn out well, I can try to sell them for a small taste of commercial endeavor. I quite enjoy making them, but I'm noticing I still have to, sort of, saddle up to the idea each day afresh. Apparently, my psyche feels I am not allowed to work on them until I first exercise and do a bit of housework, otherwise I am ridden with the guilt of sloth and hedonism.
From my workstation, I can see the river out to where the dam is. That's the only unfrozen part of the river because the current is so fast, but it still looks damn cold. Also damn cold is the house. I made a frankenstein of a hot drink today to warm myself, composed of coffee subsitute of barley and chicory plus cocoa powder plus almond powder plus chocolate soymilk plus hot water. Sound ridiculous? Ridiculous like a fox, because Hot Frankenstein, as I've dubbed it, is very tasty.
I don't even know what day it is. January somethingth. It feels like winter will stretch endlessly but I suppose that isn't true. Come February, I will inform the temp agency that I am back in business and we'll see what comes of that. I couldn't stay home endlessly, that's for sure. I would go mental, even though I have plenty to do. Part-time work would be ideal. Just enough to keep me socially integrated and fulfill my guilt-induced pain quota to allow for pleasure as a reward. It's all about balance. Gentle, tenuous, non-nonsensical balance.
Monday, January 05, 2009
2009 Jupiter and Beyond. (SCTV. Eugene Levy as Ernest Borgnine. Sublime.)
Well Happy New Year then everyone. Whew.
Christmas was great. I was really glad to have a whole month to relax during a festive season and take time to get some bloody enjoyment out of it. I even managed not to put on the requisite ten holiday pounds. I rang the New Year in rather feebly by barely being awake at 12. I was in bed, listening to the radio and waiting for it to happen so I could go to sleep. Despite my lack of festivities about it, I was and still am feeling that now, is as good a time as any to believe in positive changes and a truly happy new year. And that wraps up the sappy sentiment.
Highlights of 2008 off the top of my head:
1. Quitting my damn job!
2. Getting the kitten (who's latest name is Little Lebowski)
3. Seeing Tennessee get his Engineering ring.
4. Pretty much everything we did in California and especially Oregon and Washington state.
Predicted highlights for 2009:
1. Getting married at Voodoo Donuts in Portland this April (finance gods, be kind to us!).
2. Figuring out what the hell I want to do for work??
3. Growing out my damn hair and getting a half decent hair cut for once...
So, doesn't seem like much but number 2 there will be taking a lot of time and energy I think.
In the meantime, with my open days, I have been shaking my booty and sewing bags and knitting a sweater and rearranging the house in a never ending search for pure efficiency and Swedish minimalism. I am soooo far from that goal in our place here. Sigh.
Actually, we've been thinking of moving. All of a sudden, upon returning home after Christmas, I realized, I was ready for something new. I'm ready to be back in the city. Albeit, in a concrete, 100% soundproof apartment but, as soon as we find that in the right place for the right rent, I'm ready to leave here. It did me good being here. It was a huge source of relief and peace. The river and the trees and the garden and the fireplace and our very own walls, shared with no one else...truly our little introvert home. Now, I find I look less out at the river, the winters are freezing, even with the fireplace, heat and wood cost a fortune, the train dictates our lives and our little house is falling apart at the seams. Cracks are breaking through on the walls and ceiling and I'm scared to step in certain spots, lest I fall right through the floor.
We are brewing the idea, we'll start looking, no hurry. When I find a place, I'll give notice and that's it. I used to have nightmares about moving from here accidentally and regretting it. As much as I loved it here, I didn't like how attached I was. I was scared I wouldn't ever be able to leave, even if I had to. Now, here I am thinking about it voluntarily. So there. Embracing the chaos.
Sometimes, riding the wave of change and chaos scares me stupid, sometimes it's exhilarating and feels like the whole point of living. I hope this year it can be more of the latter.
Christmas was great. I was really glad to have a whole month to relax during a festive season and take time to get some bloody enjoyment out of it. I even managed not to put on the requisite ten holiday pounds. I rang the New Year in rather feebly by barely being awake at 12. I was in bed, listening to the radio and waiting for it to happen so I could go to sleep. Despite my lack of festivities about it, I was and still am feeling that now, is as good a time as any to believe in positive changes and a truly happy new year. And that wraps up the sappy sentiment.
Highlights of 2008 off the top of my head:
1. Quitting my damn job!
2. Getting the kitten (who's latest name is Little Lebowski)
3. Seeing Tennessee get his Engineering ring.
4. Pretty much everything we did in California and especially Oregon and Washington state.
Predicted highlights for 2009:
1. Getting married at Voodoo Donuts in Portland this April (finance gods, be kind to us!).
2. Figuring out what the hell I want to do for work??
3. Growing out my damn hair and getting a half decent hair cut for once...
So, doesn't seem like much but number 2 there will be taking a lot of time and energy I think.
In the meantime, with my open days, I have been shaking my booty and sewing bags and knitting a sweater and rearranging the house in a never ending search for pure efficiency and Swedish minimalism. I am soooo far from that goal in our place here. Sigh.
Actually, we've been thinking of moving. All of a sudden, upon returning home after Christmas, I realized, I was ready for something new. I'm ready to be back in the city. Albeit, in a concrete, 100% soundproof apartment but, as soon as we find that in the right place for the right rent, I'm ready to leave here. It did me good being here. It was a huge source of relief and peace. The river and the trees and the garden and the fireplace and our very own walls, shared with no one else...truly our little introvert home. Now, I find I look less out at the river, the winters are freezing, even with the fireplace, heat and wood cost a fortune, the train dictates our lives and our little house is falling apart at the seams. Cracks are breaking through on the walls and ceiling and I'm scared to step in certain spots, lest I fall right through the floor.
We are brewing the idea, we'll start looking, no hurry. When I find a place, I'll give notice and that's it. I used to have nightmares about moving from here accidentally and regretting it. As much as I loved it here, I didn't like how attached I was. I was scared I wouldn't ever be able to leave, even if I had to. Now, here I am thinking about it voluntarily. So there. Embracing the chaos.
Sometimes, riding the wave of change and chaos scares me stupid, sometimes it's exhilarating and feels like the whole point of living. I hope this year it can be more of the latter.
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