Tuesday, October 31, 2006

happy happy halloween!

i think just about any, and everyone, who went to a party this weekend in honor of the holiday felt like today was sort of an afterthought, but i got to give out candy to one lone trick-or-treater and so now i'm full of the holiday spirit! i guess i missed the other four or five kids that came by before i got home, but it made me happy to know my little pumpkin lured at least some kids to come on by for candy. i bought good candy too; not that cheap stuff you get when you trick-or-treat at the mall or the school. it was all m&m's, kit-kat's, snicker's and reese's peanut butter cups (as well as a few almond joys because i love those things).

speaking of candy, i totally carbo-laoded this halloween night! for dinner i had beer, goldfish crackers, and some candy. that's sort of balanced, right? sugar for the ups, alcohol for the downs, and candy for the sweet-sweet-goodness. that's totally balanced, and i dare you to argue otherwise.

i got a picture of tiernan looking crazy-cute in his bird costume, and i'm waiting on one of maggie in her bear costume. i do miss the kids on halloween, because as fun as it is for me, it's more fun with them. there't nothing like being reminded of the thrill of getting a whole candy bar in your sack, and thinking about how much fun it was to get dressed up (especially considering that 75% of the women's costumes i saw this year all the words "sexy," "naughty" or "skanky" involved in them, but that's a whole feminist rant i'll save for later). although being a grown-up means i get to have drinks on halloween and watch creepy television shows and movies tonights, and that's kind of nice too. reason number 45 while halloween is great for everyone: candy and beer!

happy halloween!

Monday, October 30, 2006

it was a good day

  1. my roommate's took me out for sushi, which was delicious. there is something so lovely about really good raw fish that makes ever cooking it seem sort of like a crime.
  2. i got to hear tiernan wish me a "happy boithday," which was exciting because i didn't know he was from jersey. excuse me, joisey. i love that kid! plus, he sang me the birthday song and that ruled, especially because he sang the monkey version. then he told me all about his baby, and his boid costume. i only wish he were closer, so i could chew on his cheeks when he sounds like he's from back east.
  3. i finished i like you, and have found quite a few recipes i want to make in there.
  4. i got to talk to all my friends and family!
  5. my pumpkin rules the block.
  6. i did some laundry, although not as much as i maybe should have.
  7. it's cold enough outside tonight that i get to crank on my electric blanket, which means fall is indeed here and winter is coming.
  8. i'm going to go put the finishing touches on my list of things to do before i turn thirty, then turn in for the night. there's an electric blanket calling my name, and i am happily full of sushi and some cocktail called a volcano. today i didn't even have to use my a.k. i got to say it was a good day.

grim

this took a whole hour to carve this morning. before you get too excited, i used a stencil, and no, i'ts not my own design. honestly, i'm not great at thinking up things to carve on pumkins. this year i let someone else do the creative part, and i just did the carving. the results were totally worth it, though.

my roommate's say we don't get any trick or treaters, but maybe with a nice pumpkin out front and some decorations we will. there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood, i'm hoping to lure some over for treats. speaking of, i should go out and buy some, just in case. and maybe i'll pick up another pumpkin for carving. you know, just for good measure.

it's my birthday!

i slept most of yesterday away, what with being sort of a hungover mime. i managed to order a pizza, watch shaun of the dead, and read a little before going back to bed, but now it's 1 in the morning and i am awake. i really should have made myself stay up! i have a feeling later today i'm going to regret all the sleep.

the party i went to last night was ridiculously fun. it was huge! the drinks were free! they had even rented a bus to take people home at the end of the night so no one would have to get a taxi! there was a huge tent set up with a dj and a dance floor outside, lots of munchies, and everyone there was seriously dressed up. it was a great party. boy roommate's costume, as dog the bounty hunter, was a huge hit, and i got to wear my stripey tights, which made me happy. pictures over here, with more coming soon when i get a hold of my roommate's camera!

i should have at least tidied up my room yesterday. now i'm going to feel like doing it today, and the whole point of today was supposed to be birthday-and-fun related. i'm sure i can resist the siren pull of cleaning, but it might mean getting the hell out of the house to avoid it.

Friday, October 27, 2006

i have cupcakes in the oven even as i type this


i hope the alarm on the stove is loud enough to reach downstairs.

sewing with tulle is a bitch. sewing with netting, also a bitch. waiting until the last moment to finish my halloween costume? the biggest bitch of all! but in a fun way. you'll know all about my costume-y goodness tomorrow, when i wear the damn thing out and take a million photos of it. now that it's done, the outfit part is kind of boring, but the make-up part is going to be fun. i'm probably more excited about boy roommate's costume, which i finished tonight. he's going to be dog the bounty hunter! i found an awesome mullet wig, and made some of those leather and feather hair thingies for it. he's a big guy with a blonde beard to start with, all he needs are the shades, a black shirt, and he's already done. boys are so lucky.

i got my first birthday present yesterday and i opened it right away. i know, it's not my birthday, but in my own defense it was already half open when i got it. the post office in my neighborhood sucks ass! i opened it the rest of the way and found the new book by amy sedaris, i like you; hospitality under the influence. i would tell you it's great, but it's better than great. it's amazing, and funny and smart and i could hardly put it down once i had it in my hot little hands. what i love best about amy sedaris is that she's unashamed of her love of cooking and entertaining, and doing "happy homemaker" stuff; she's still exactly her own woman, who just happens to love cupcakes more than i do.

this afternoon i went to the post office to pick up the package my mom sent me for my birthday. i tried to not open it, but then i did. one of the women i work with actually said, "but it's not your birthday!" to which i replied, "i know, but i'm a grown-up and i want to open it now." what's the point in being this old if i have to wait? inside the box were treats to eat, a ridiculously cute bracelet that's an inside joke between mom and me, and two (two!) pairs of hand-knit socks. the socks are amazing, they fit my fat little feet perfect; one pair is a lovely purple, and one is a dark turquoise. plus, some squid-related goodies. you have to love that my mom encourages my love of squid. technically the package was also from my pop, but it had "mom" written all ove it. i have to say, the one thing that has never gotten old during this year in colorado is the great packages from my people. i don't know that anything else in the whole world makes me that happy.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

fall notes

i have a startling confession to make. okay, not so startling. this is actually probably less of a confession and more of a "hey, i noticed." why am i making grand pronouncements? there's no need for that. i have this horrible habit of drinking a lot in the fall. i don't know what it is exactly that prompts me to buy actual hard liquor and drink it liberally when the weather turns. this is kind of fun the night i do it, but the next day is usually shot in the face. dammit. last night whiskey ginger's were my best friend, today i did little more than eat half a loaf of sourdough bread and drink massive amounts of water. i had so many plans! of course, most of them i made while under the influence, so it's probably good i didn't get most of them done. of course, the nap i took this afternoon/early evening was delightful, but i have this feeling like maybe i won't sleep so well tonight. when i had two days in a row off weekends, this tendency of mine to drink a lot when the leaves change color was not a big deal. i spent one day recuperating, and one getting shit done, but the random days off means i get nothing done. nothing!

i did make it to the fabric store, where i picked up some tulle for my costume and the premier issue of craft magazine. i've been looking forward to this for so long, and honestly, i was seriously disappointed. it was kind of the same-old crafty stuff i've been seeing on-line and in other magazines for months, and the $15 price tag is ridiculous. if i had actually realized how much it was while i was throwing it in my cart, i would not have bought it. it was just right there by the checkout! and it doesn't look like a $15 magazine. i'm sorry, i wish i had a better review of it, but i don't. the blog is good, not all the projects in it sucked, but overall it was kind of a stinker.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

i spend more time with my co-workers than i do anyone else on the whole entire planet. if i had to choose who i wanted to devote 40+ hours a week, i might choose some other people (you know, like friends or family) but i have to say, on the whole i don't mind spending basically every waking moment with the kids at work. yesterday i got to work at 8:30 in the morning and left at 8:30 at night, due to a work meeting and a slew of customers coming in at five-to-close. we were all expecting the work meeting to be stupid and boring, but we got a free dinner out of it, and honestly, it was a lot funnier than i thought it would be. our new favorite joke at work is "that's what she said," which we employ far more often than is neccesary. we think it's a joke that only gets funnier and funnier the more we say it, but i bet basically everyone else in my life is sick of hearing it. too bad! i think there was more of a point to this story, but i can't remember what it was. that's what she said!

also, halloween is just around the corner. the roommate's and are going to a party this weekend and tonight i picked up some more stuff for my costume. i don't think i've been this excited about the high holy holiday in years. i also picked up some amazing dia de los muertos fabric that i've been meaning to buy forever, and am hoping to make a new purse out of it soon. or something; it's so crazy pretty i'm not sure what to do with it. i kind of just want to spread it out and look at it a lot. last but not least, i don't have a muffin tin for some reason, so i bought one so i can make eyeball cupcakes. holiday cupcakes rule! that's what she said!

Monday, October 23, 2006

hi!

(i'm waving at you, can you see it?) i have very little in the way of exciting things to tell you, other than the girl that will be taking over my job came in for another part of her interview today, and that made me happy. soon i will be out of the sales trenches and into the hell of repair, and i couldn't be happier. my hair is black again, and i'm pretty sure i'm the only girl on earth who can't hold permanent dye in her hair. the black washed out after only a few months! what the hell. i'm pretty sure i have a halloween party locked down and that means i can finish the rest of my costume. i am totally, completely in love with the show heroes. have you seen it yet? there's too much going on, but in a good way. i've been very busy lately being lazy. i have a huge rant about this political mailer i got the other day that pissed me off in such a way that i've been mentally composing hate mail since it showed up. ooh, wait until you see that. "hi, my name is amanda and i'm just a little bitter," is what it essentially says. only better. and last but not least, i have week to finish my list. one week! if you have any ideas for my "things i should do before i turn 30" list, let me know now.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

sunday sunday SUNDAY!

i hate and love sunday night. hate it because it almost always means i've had the day off but have to go back to work the next day, love it because it's adult swim night. dammit i love adult swim. it's true i don't have to stay up late to watch cartoons, seeing as a lot of them show up on adult swim fix, but watching them wearing my pj's in bed is infinitely better than watching it in the back room at work, where the chances are good everyone is going to wander by asking, "what the hell is that?" or "have to you seen so-and-so's phone?"

one of the guys at work spent weeks making fun of my love of aqua teen hunger force, until i explained it a little to him and made him watch part of an episode. after that he would linger a little when he saw me watching it, but still make fun of it before leaving. then one day at work he came out from the back room at lunch and said, "um, where would i find those cartoons on-line?" ha! he is a fan! he doesn't want to be, but he is. next on my list is to get him hooked on metalocalypse. that one will take more work because J likes hip hop best, but i think it can be done.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

this is an alcohol related post

lucky you! my co-worker J talked all day about la folie, a very rare beer from the new belgium brewery. he talked about it so much, and with such passion that i went to a liquor store way out of my way the other night to buy a bottle. what he neglected to tell me is that it is a very sour beer. it's good, but i have to admit when i tried it for the first time i was not impressed. he had told me, however, that it was a bit of an aquired taste, and when i admitted i didn't think i liked it he told me to wait a day and try it again. while i don't think it will ever be my favorite new beligium brew (that honor goes to frambozen), it was a very interested thing to drink. you can only get it at the brewery, and about three liquor stores in town. i kind of want to send it to friends so they can try it, but sending beer through the mail is tricky.

also tonight i watched snl and while drinking some amaretto (one of my favorite fall drinks) and decided that i love love love gerald from my chemical romance's new blond hair. it's wrong, i know, but i can't help myself. my love of creepy boys in eye makeup goes back to my first crush ever, david bowie. gerald is entirely too young for me to actually make out with, but i admit i love the band's giant-emo-symphony sound, the theatrics, and the way he reminds me of billy corgan circa gish. i feel old and young at the same time watching him. and speaking of old/young, eight days until my birthday. i don't know why i'm counting down this year, but i feel like this birthday is more important than that big 3-0. like this might be the last year i get to act like an ass and still have my parents not freak out, like i'm still not entirely considered a spinster-loser and if i don't take advantage of this free pass to do as i like i'll regret it. i think this might mean buying more black eyeliner and refusing to settle down with a nice boy, but we'll see. it could mean a million things, i suppose. maybe eyeliner is just teensy part of it.

careful, i'm HOT

ha! i was joking. this is my wild and exciting saturday night. the roommate's are down in boulder, going out, but after work tonight i just couldn't face the drive. it's less than an hour, but still too long, and i felt like dying my hair and making freezer paper stencil stuff. i still have a dethklock shirt to finish, and some undies that might need some skulls on them. plus, i'm all awake and stuff because i had one of these, and the thought of tying one on and losing my momentum isn't super appealing. (although right before i came home i did wish someone in town was going out, and that i could tag along. i need more drinking buddies in this town.) that makes choosing to sit around my apartment with a plastic shower cap on seem sort of sad in comparison, but dammit! i've got the place to myself, some mary tyler moore on dvd, and a whole roll of freezer paper saying "cut me." plus, i doubt the man of my dreams is out in boulder right now. i have a feeling he's at home playing video games and drinking cheap beer. jerk!

my very first birthday card showed up today, from my aunt and uncle. my aunt always writes the nicest things in my cards, and this time she wrote about how she missed my "smile and my great style." my style! you can sum it up in two words like my sister does: unmade bed. but this is one reason why i love my aunt and uncle so much; they love me in such a way that they think my haphazard dress and tendency to wear stuff because it doesn't match or is funny is something i do on purpose. to them, my being cheap and and relying on old navy, the thrift store and target is cute. that made my day. i love them. they are getting the best thank you note EVER.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

"shiftless" should be my middle name

i didn't sleep until some time after 3 a.m. last night. then i slept in until noon, which sort of shot today in the foot. go me! i did get all of three things done; i bought a new small photo album for photos of baby, i put my paycheck in the mail, and i spent entirely too much money at old navy. i went in looking for more receiving blankets, instead found some cute pants for work, the cutest striped sweater i've never knit, a shiny girly shirt, and two shirts that do this things to my boobs where they look fabulous. a girl does not argue with that kind of shirt. i might have to go back and buy a few more, they're like magic boob shirts.

then i watched may on ifc, where i decided i love jeremy sisto. his face is strange and lovely all at once, and that's what i look for in just about anyone. everyone i know who's seen that movie has recommended it to me, but it's lower on my netflix list right now, since all my free time is taken up with battlestar galactica, buffy the vampire slayer, and arrested development. i missed the first fifteen minutes, but it's true, i loved it. it was weird and creepy and i liked may's outfits.

now i'm arguing with myself about going to bed at a reasonable time, because i'm not tired right now. i have to open tomorrow, which means 8:30 a.m., a time i'm not a huge fan of, but i can do it! i wish sleep carried over from day to day, because if that was the case, i got more than enough sleep yesterday to carry me through tomorrow. too bad sleep doesn't work that way. i'd sock some away in my sleep bank to use this weekend, too.

oh wait! i almost forgot to tell you that i painted that pumpkin for some work thing, and i started buying parts of my halloween costume tonight. i'm not going to tell you what i'm going to be, but i'm pretty excited. boy roommate knows of a party and i'm really looking forward to donning a costume and maybe kissing on some boy also wearing a costume. halloween is good for random make-outs, and i should know because before i put the moratorium on birthday fun, i used to hit every halloween party i knew of and milk both the holiday and my recent birthday.

why am i still awake?

sometimes when i know i have the day off the next day, i like coming home to cocktails. nothing crazy or even very drunk, but a few drinks that make me feel giggly and then sleepy, then off to bed to watch cartoons. this was my plan tonight, but it backfired. i had my two drinks, and instead of thinking things were funnier than they actually are, i fell asleep. taking a nap at 9 p.m is not advisable because you wake up at 10 kind of tired, will half-assedly watch some tv, then read for a few hours before realizing you are indeed awake and start wondering why you're still in bed.

hmph. i should know better, but i guess i don't. also, it is very sad that i think cartoons and cocktails make for a fun evening? i mean, it is only wednesday, and just because i have tomorrow off doesn't mean anyone else does.

my list of things to do before i turn thirty is going well, i think. i've also made a very reasonable short-term-goal list, which i will share with you here. if i have to be up late at night bored, then you should be too, which is the moral of this story.
  1. eat out at lunch no more than once a week at work. i am spending too much money on lunch, and that's money i could save for a host of other worthwhile things. like going to kidrobot while visiting my sister, or buying fancy new earrings for the holidays (i admit i usually buy myself a present for christmas, and one for my birthday, which i already bought [it's my tatoo!]).
  2. finish at least one handmade christmas present this month. i started a lot of them a while ago, but haven't finished one recently. before you know it christmas will be here and i will have half-finished scarves and gloves and hats all over the house.
  3. make a dethklock shirt. make it the most brutal shirt ever! somehow find a way to marry nathan explosion! oh wait, crushes on cartoon characters are totally dorky. edit that to read; find a way to marry brendan small!
  4. carve a pumpkin.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

whoo!

we totally got snow. snow in the middle of october! it was snowy enough that by the time i got off work i had to scrape my car down and got to bitch about how cold my hands were. i can't wait to get my mittens out and enjoy it. today's snow was pretty melty, and not much stuck, but it was still fun. for whatever reason, drinking coffee on days like today is quite possibly the best thing ever. the other best thing about today was the recipe for chicken fingers my sister sort of gave me. i say "sort of" because it was more of a suggestion and it led to this recipe. it is approximate and needs some work, but it is basically as follows:

  • get a package of chicken tenders, or cut up some skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • breadcrumbs
  • buttermilk
  • honey
  • salt and pepper and herbs you like
  • cooking spray like pam.
  • baking sheet and cookie cooling rack
soak the tenders in buttermilk to cover overnight. add about a tablespoon of honey per cup to the buttermilk mixture. let is soak long and hard, friends. the next night, heat your oven to 475 degrees. yes, i know this is hot. while the oven is heating, get your breadcrumbs ready. i used plain ones in a can because i had them in the house. you could use seasoned ones, or even panko, which i am going to use next time because i think that would rock. season up your crumbs with your favorite herbs and some salt and pepper if you are using plain, and lay it out in an empty pie pan or something equally as shallow. place the cookie cooling rack on the baking sheet, and spray with pam. this is the secret cool part of the recipe because the cooling rack keeps the tenders from getting all soggy on the bottom in the oven. the next part is gross; fish out the tenders from their buttermilky-salmonella-soup, and dredge in the crumbs. coat! coat well! place on cooling rack. the tenders won't shrink much while cooking, thanks to the juicy powers of buttermilk (which smells kind of gross, but i can assure you it tastes good with the chicken and makes for the moistest, most tender white meat in the world, and this is coming from a girl who hates white meat and usually sticks to dark). bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or a bit longer if you want them to crisp up some more. let them cool for a couple of minutes before you remove them from the cooling rack; you want the crust to seal.

easy as pie. serve with delicious dipping things, cut up and throw on a salad,or use the leftovers in sandwiches. if you use a low-fi buttermilk this is actually a pretty low-fat, lower in carbs, high in protein good thing, which will make you feel better about using high-fi ranch or bluecheese. i think the next time i make them i'm going to try using panko and sesame seeds, for a little extra crunch, and then maybe make a gingery teriyaki dipping sauce. i'm no alton brown, but these were delicious.

holding my breath

we are suppposed to get snow today! snow! i am so excited about this i keep jumping around the house, and i'm not exactly dressed yet. if we get snow on my birthday i am going to consider it a sign from god and go back to having birthdays parties instead of hiding out in the movie theater all day. snow! man, i love that stuff.

Monday, October 16, 2006

it's not exactly baking

but i still went a little cupcake crazy this past week and weekend. it's a pretty basic design i drew, but changing the expressions and colors makes it extra fun to work on.

i went and looked at bikes this weekend, too, so i can get a handle on how much one might cost. i'd like to spend around $100, but the bikes i really loved were more than that. i might go ahead and save up enough money for a really spectacular one, or try to buy one once the weather turns crappy, because maybe they'll be cheaper then. it was easy enough to find red ones, although i have to admit i saw an orange one i kind of really liked too. all i know for sure is that i definately want one with huge fenders, and some pinstripe action. also, i don't care about gears. it's flat here, and i never plan on taking my bike to the mountains. i just want something big and dorky to tool around on.

i also had entirely too much drink this whole weekend, which culminated in a great saturday night out where i got to chit chat with all my favorite bartenders. one of them is extra-cute, and it was fun to be out with my roommate drinking girly drinks and goofing around. i love my boy roommate, but when he comes out with us we don't get a lot of boy action. i think they can't always tell who he belongs to, which is fine for my girl roommate, but sucky for me. i need to get a shirt to wear out that says, "third wheel" so it will be evident that i'm odd girl out. although i don't really look like them, or hold hands with either of them, so it should already be pretty clear. you just can't take for granted what a boy with a few drinks in him will or won't think. they are mysterious enough sober.

Friday, October 13, 2006

things to do before i turn 30

(this is just a starter list, mind you.)
  1. buy a red bicycle and ride it all over town.
  2. learn how to silk screen shirts.
  3. go to sxsw.
  4. paint a painting bigger than 4x6, which seems to be the only size i'm comfortable with.
  5. create the perfect hoodie sweatshirt.
  6. re-learn how to use a real camera, with real film.

i have a feeling my list will get longer, but i'm hoping to keep it around ten items. two more weeks before 29, and i want to have the list totally done before then.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

she's not mine, except she sort of is

maggie doesn't look like me at all. except for our big cheeks, that is, but i have that in common with most babies. she doesn't look like my mom or pop either; she looks exactly like her dad, with my sister's eyes and perfect little mouth. sometimes this makes me sad, because i want her to look like us, at the same time i know she's ours so i could care less who she looks like specifically. no matter what, you have to admit she is one cute baby.

i got thanksgiving off, finally, and i can start planning on going to california and being surrounded my people for a few days. i can't wait to see maggie and chew on her for myself, and as dorky as it sounds, no one hugs me like my mom. i don't get a lot of hugs in my everyday life, what with getting yelled at by crazy customers and stuff, but mom hugs me. i miss that the most about home.

we've been celebrating my new job at the house for a few days now (um, okay, two!) and i have to say, coming home to cocktails and happy good times is fun. my roommate's new house is coming along beautifully, and i just found out that for the first time in something like five years i'll be living above ground. i'm going to ask my roommate really nicely if i can paint one of the walls in my new bedroom robin's egg blue, because that's what i've always wanted.

i might be too tipsy to write this post and have it make a lot of sense, but fall is here, i have a fridge full of things that taste like pumpkin and apple, and the whole day off tomorrow to catch up on emails, laundry, movie and phone calls. i'm very much looking forward to that. (and seeing baby!)

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

i got a new job!

(insert me throwing up my hands here, then doing a little booty dance) remember how forever ago i interviewed for a different job at my work? i'd kind of forgotten all about it, in that pushed-to-the-back-my-head sort of way. i knew they had interviewed a whole bunch of other people, and part of the way through the interviewing process they hired a new manager for that department and it sort of slowed everything way down, which is pretty much how everything works in my company. let's not forget it took eight months for me to go from temp status to real employee. then out of the blue today the new manager for our tech department shows up, i say "hi!" and go back to spacing out at my station. okay, i was playing this. i hear my name, and it's my boss saying "we need to talk to you." i kind of stare at him blankly, and he says again, "we need to talk to you, like back here in the office." before i know it they're telling me i got the job as the new assistant technician, and soon i'll go from being in the front of the store doing sales to being in the back taking apart phones.

dude! i am so happy. i'm going to get to take shit apart, i won't have to worry about being charming all the time and pleasant and think about quotas, i'll get to do hands-on, techno-crafty things instead. i'll make a little more hourly (but not as much as i did before becoming permanent), but no commission checks, however i will have a regular schedule with days off on the same days every week. i'll get to keep all my benefits, i'll get to work with the kids i already know and love, and if we get super busy i can eat and work at the same time. i'm happy. i feel like this job will suit me more and i'll get to learn things i can use later. i'm better at behind-the-scenes action, and i'll get to listen to music that doesn't come piped in through what i can only assume is the sewer because it relies heavily on jessica simpson and creed.

the move won't come for a few weeks because before i can move into the back room we need someone to take my place in the front, but my boss has already been looking for someone new and there's a girl he has in mind. yesterday i got a chance to meet her for a second, before i knew about any of this, and she seemed like she would fit in well at work. i hope she gets it soon so i can start taking shit apart and tinkering with stuff.

this job has to be one of the weirdest things i've ever undertaken. moving was strange and traumatic in its own special way, but this job and the fact that i've had it this long is amazing to me. i hate parts of it, and i love other things about it. in the beginning i kept doing it even when i went in every day wanting to quit, and you are talking to a girl who once went on her lunch break at a job and never went back. i do something i'm not very good at it, something i'm not even sure i want to be good at, but i do it. and what's more, i do indeed work harder to be better at it; not because i believe cell phones are the greatest things ever, but because at this point why the hell not? everything about this surprises me, being excited about this new opportunity is just another odd moment in a life i never thought i'd have. maybe i'm settling in. maybe i'm growing up. maybe this is just what i need to do now. i honestly don't know.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

drawers

every monrning i wander into the laundry room to grab a pair of underpants and socks. i keep doing this, even though this weekend i had two cups of coffee and managed to actually put all of my clothes where they belong, in the dresser. the closet where the dresser is still confuses me. my whole world is askew! underpants in drawers! socks in pairs! fifteen seconds shaved off my morning routine by not having to hunt for anything! weird.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

fall days are the best days

the other day i was telling someone how much i loved fall, and they asked, "do you have a birthday in the fall?" i said, why yes indeed, i do. they told me that people usually love the season they're born in the best, but seeing as i hate celebrating my birthday i think this is just a happy coincidence on my part. for me the whole birthday part is the only downside to fall, and the good stuff is all mixed with in with getting to cook things i missed during the summer like roasted chickens and cookies, the leaves changing color, getting to drink more coffee, the days shortening*, and all that jazz. if we're going to talk about my birthday, though, it's twenty-two days until the big 2-9. i have to say i was sort of thinking of skipping it, and going right into 3-0, but i have decided against that. for one thing, one more year in my twenties means getting to make the "things i want to do before i turn thirty" list. i think that's a list worth making.

i'm also curious if anyone's switched over to blogger beta. is it fun? is it real different from this kind of blogger? do you regret the move? i like some of the new features offered (like categories) but i'm worried about the whole if-you-do-this-you-can't-take-it-back thing. sure, i'll mark my skin permanently with needles without a thought, but i don't think i can handle unalterable changes to my blog unless i know for sure that they are good.

*i don't like days insanely short, but i do like darkness showing up earlier. once it's dark i feel like doing stuff like cleaning and laundry and vacuuming, and having dusk show up an hour or so earlier means i get a lot more done.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

i do care what you had for lunch

but i still am very curious about this new book popping up on blogs everywhere, no one cares what you had for lunch, and kind of want to get it because lately i feel like my blog is written as follows:
  1. i hate my job
  2. this is what i'm knitting/sewing/embroidering/crafting
  3. this is what i'm cooking/eating/craving
  4. i drew this
  5. tentacles rule
  6. i miss my people
  7. look/listen/watch this
  8. colorado is weird because...
there is more to me, right? maybe a little guidance would shake me up a bit, and make my blog more fun! exciting! popular! oh wait, but i'm not really any of those things in real life. i don't want my blog to be all false-advertising-like-those-things-you-put-in-your-bra.

i could use a few good new writing topics though. maybe instead of buying that book right now, i'll ask if there's anything you want to know. anything. you know where the comments are, feel free to take me up on this. wondering what color my undies are? how old i was the first time i made-out with a boy? why i can't touch unglazed pottery? (i'll give you that one, because it's GROSS and makes the back of my throat close up.) who i was in a past life? help me out. maybe i'll also ban that list of things above for a few days and see what i come up. although i'd rather you did the thinking for me and stuff. before i go, though, let me just say the new decemberists album is good, but kind of sounds like maybe they were listening to a lot of rush. just saying.

happy work bullshit

today was my very first day at work actually working on commission. i still feel so guilty when people ask and i have to say "yes," it makes me feel sleazy and i don't want anyone thinking i'm selling them stuff because i want to make cash money. at the same time, i think i'm beginning to understand why people work on commission. having that arbitrary number there and keeping track of where you are and where you need to be is almost fun. plus, i will be making more money and shallow as it might be, i'm kind of stoked. MONEY. like enough to pay rent and bills and buy myself a visit to the dentist and some cute new shoes.

i've said it before and i'll say it again, i am never going to be a fantastic salesperson. at best i will be satisfactory, and extremely pleasant to a select few, but it's not as bad as i thought it would be.

and! my skillz are good enough that tonight at best buy i ran into a customer who hooked me up with the employee price on a cd. i got the new decemberists album for less than $7! whoo!

one more thing, for those of you who asked, i do indeed have skull shaped cookie cutters. i ordered them a few weeks ago from a place called copper gifts, and i have to say i am thrilled with them. they custom make the cutters in solid copper, they are totally reasonably priced (i mean, a good cookie cutter you have forever and if you are serious about cookies spending $10 on a cutter is not that big a deal), and if you ask nicely they will make your order all fit together. like i ordered a small heart shaped cutter, and explained that i would be using it for the eyes on my skulls. the cutter they sent fit the face perfectly, and again, they are super-nice cutters. i found another one on a site that was skull and crossbones, and while that looked kind of cool, i knew the crossbones would be a pain in the ass to lift out of the dough easily and knowing that, i would use them less often. that was a long explaination of cookie cutters, but i think it was worth it. go bake some cookies now!

Monday, October 02, 2006

creeptastic!

not the cookies! here is photographic evidence of the first batch of skull cookies i made. frosted they would be cuter, but i was feeling lazy and frustrated with the dough so they didn't make it that far. today i brought them to work (after having a few with my morning coffee) because even though they turned out okay, they weren't great and i found that disappointing. sometimes cooking is all about figuring out what works and what doesn't, and i know if all else fails i work with a bunch of boys who will eat anything i cook. hello, culinary guinnea pigs.

on to the knitting part of this post, all the pieces of the sweater are DONE. three quarters of it are blocked, one sleeve still needs the ends weaved in and to be blocked, and the shoulders and neck are done. i did my first three-needle bind off and it was spectacular. i loved the effect, and while it took a second for me to wrap my brain around it, a short watch of a knitting help movie hepled reassure me i was on the right path. soon i will have a new sweater to wear that i made all by myself and i feel totally proud of myself. after this project, though, it's back to working on the christmas knitting.

and for the creeptastic part of this post, i spent all afternoon watching old re-runs of tales from the darkside. it's like the twilight zone or tales from the crypt, only cheesier and darker. i found the show on accident on the sci-fi network, and realized later the my pop had found the same thing and we were both watching them. the ghost-y ones are the ones that make my skin crawl, and there were plenty of those. when i was done with tales from the darkside, i flipped on the x-files, only to have it be the episode with the men skinned alive. the sight of them all glisteny, red and without skin also creeps me out. which is evidently a reasonable way for me to spend my time before going to bed; freaking myself out like the twelve-year old i am. i used to lie in bed at night reading horror stores and stephen king as a kid, getting myself so spun up i would go sleep in the living room with the dog, because she was a bulldog and a loud snorer and i found that sound soothing. i'm going to wish i had a bulldog later tonight.

late

i woke up early this morning with a thousand ideas of things to do today, but now it's almost one and the only things i've done are take a shower and eat a frozen hom bao. i shared it with the cat, and if her mom knew i'd be in deep shit. i can't resist giving her tiny bites of the barbequed pork inside, she purrs so deeply and satisfyingly when it's all done with. i think when a cat makes that happy noise then you should be allowed to feed them whatever they want.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

it's october!

my favorite month of the year. i also just realized today that i haven't changed my calendar since august, so i might want to get going with that. today i baked skull shaped cookies with a cookie dough recipe i did not love (too flakey and hard to work with). the cookies themselves are okay, but nothing spectacular. i blocked the front and back of my sweater, sewed in all the loose annoying ends on one sleeve and am only a few inches away from finishing the last sleeve. i dread sewing it all together, but am thrilled to have gotten this far in a project this big. i'm already looking for my next sweater to knit. my wrist is itchy and hurty at the same time, which i think is a first for me. most of my tattoos are one or the other at any given point in time, not both. to be honest, though, i thought the guy was going kind of deep. pervs, shut up. i think it's time to invest in a bike, because after a week of walking around i felt totally sluggy today just hanging out. i have a feeling if i get a bike i will ride it if i tell myself i'm riding out to areas to take photos. if i mix the photos in, maybe it will feel more worthwhile to me, and less like excercise, the very word making me break out in hives. i should have split this up into more than one paragraph, but the grammar nazi is on break and you are stuck reading one never-ending paragraph! distinct thoughts be damned! also, the little asian market i found in denver might not be as fabulous as uwajimaya, but i miss it already. time for the venture brothers, which i can't understand why dave doesn't like. it's great. dave, try it again. maybe you'll grow to like it.