Hmmm.... there appears to be no delete function for this blog style.
Fail.
:j
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Con dragging
Well, looks like I will definitely be dragged to a convention this year, whether I want to spend the money or not.
*sigh* At least it's a big one, I guess. Lots of people.
That being said, since it is a big convention, my business partner (who is the one dragging me along) and I have opted for a table in the dealer's area, since my being in the artist's alley area is always questionable. I get dragged along for two reasons: to keep her company, and to keep her from spending way too much money, as she is unfortunately in the habit of doing.
This mainly came about because one of her commissioners (who is also a friend of hers) found out that she wouldn't be going, and decided he absolutely had to see her at the con, so someone else he knows is there. In theory, he's going to pick us up, after picking up his friend in Chicago, and we'll be driving out. In practicality, I've checked out the price of Greyhound bus tickets.
So, I'm going to be spending some time getting ready for the convention. We have a button maker, now, and I should be able to have some fun making a few buttons. I've also decided that, if I'm going to be dragged to a convention this year, I might as well have something in the art show, so I'm also working on a few pieces for that.
*sigh* At least it's a big one, I guess. Lots of people.
That being said, since it is a big convention, my business partner (who is the one dragging me along) and I have opted for a table in the dealer's area, since my being in the artist's alley area is always questionable. I get dragged along for two reasons: to keep her company, and to keep her from spending way too much money, as she is unfortunately in the habit of doing.
This mainly came about because one of her commissioners (who is also a friend of hers) found out that she wouldn't be going, and decided he absolutely had to see her at the con, so someone else he knows is there. In theory, he's going to pick us up, after picking up his friend in Chicago, and we'll be driving out. In practicality, I've checked out the price of Greyhound bus tickets.
So, I'm going to be spending some time getting ready for the convention. We have a button maker, now, and I should be able to have some fun making a few buttons. I've also decided that, if I'm going to be dragged to a convention this year, I might as well have something in the art show, so I'm also working on a few pieces for that.
Friday, March 26, 2010
High expectations, ignorance, or high laziness?
Today is one of those days when I really have to wonder if we're truly passing along enough information to the generations after ours. Either people have high expectations of what certain products can do, they're ignorant, or they're laziness dial is turned to "high."
One of our garden people, "English Major," wound up having to take a break this afternoon. Not because she had been on her feet for too long, but because she was getting some really stupid questions - ones that would make a lot of people go, "well, duh!" to. But of course, we're in retail, and customers tend to have this problem with someone giving them a look that can translate to, "are you that %^&*ing stupid?"
What set her off? A customer that did not understand how they actually have the spread fertilizer over their lawn to get it to work. He could not just leave it in a pile in one area, as it will not spread itself, and most likely someone else will not do it for him without being paid. He also did not understand that no, English Major would not go home with it to do it for him, as she has to stay at work.
This is right up there with the customers that don't understand that when they take the can of paint home, it will not put itself onto their walls, they have to do that part. And no, the paint will not come out of the can striped like the picture in the book shows it on the walls - you need to tape it off and do the stripes yourself. In two colors. Yes, that means you have to buy two colors of paint. No, we can't give you half a gallon of each color in a one gallon can and have them stay separated.
Teacher Girl in receiving had to go home over her lunch break today, as her kids are off, and her 16-year-old did not know how to order a pizza. Seriously, whut? O_o
A few years ago, we had customer in the store that wanted something to kill the bees in their yard. The bees were visiting the flowers in their yard, and the flowers would die shortly after, therefore the bees must be killing the flowers. Ren Faire tried explaining the idea of pollination to them. They thought she was lying, and demanded to speak to the manager. He also tried explaining pollination to them. They were having none of it, and left to go to an actual flower store, figuring that the people there would know what they're talking about, as we apparently did not.
English Major has also recently had to explain the concept of photosynthesis, and that yes, plants needs sunlight (and water!) to live, and without those they will die. I think I learned the basics of photosynthesis in what? Fifth grade? Fourth?
I think we're doing a little too much hand-holding here. Somewhere, something in the information age went horribly wrong, and people are not getting the right information. I'm not certain that having classes about these basic topics would be a good idea, but it certainly shouldn't be able to do harm.
One of our garden people, "English Major," wound up having to take a break this afternoon. Not because she had been on her feet for too long, but because she was getting some really stupid questions - ones that would make a lot of people go, "well, duh!" to. But of course, we're in retail, and customers tend to have this problem with someone giving them a look that can translate to, "are you that %^&*ing stupid?"
What set her off? A customer that did not understand how they actually have the spread fertilizer over their lawn to get it to work. He could not just leave it in a pile in one area, as it will not spread itself, and most likely someone else will not do it for him without being paid. He also did not understand that no, English Major would not go home with it to do it for him, as she has to stay at work.
This is right up there with the customers that don't understand that when they take the can of paint home, it will not put itself onto their walls, they have to do that part. And no, the paint will not come out of the can striped like the picture in the book shows it on the walls - you need to tape it off and do the stripes yourself. In two colors. Yes, that means you have to buy two colors of paint. No, we can't give you half a gallon of each color in a one gallon can and have them stay separated.
Teacher Girl in receiving had to go home over her lunch break today, as her kids are off, and her 16-year-old did not know how to order a pizza. Seriously, whut? O_o
A few years ago, we had customer in the store that wanted something to kill the bees in their yard. The bees were visiting the flowers in their yard, and the flowers would die shortly after, therefore the bees must be killing the flowers. Ren Faire tried explaining the idea of pollination to them. They thought she was lying, and demanded to speak to the manager. He also tried explaining pollination to them. They were having none of it, and left to go to an actual flower store, figuring that the people there would know what they're talking about, as we apparently did not.
English Major has also recently had to explain the concept of photosynthesis, and that yes, plants needs sunlight (and water!) to live, and without those they will die. I think I learned the basics of photosynthesis in what? Fifth grade? Fourth?
I think we're doing a little too much hand-holding here. Somewhere, something in the information age went horribly wrong, and people are not getting the right information. I'm not certain that having classes about these basic topics would be a good idea, but it certainly shouldn't be able to do harm.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Time for more exercise
Aside from the crafty stuff that I've been doing lately (and it's so nice to have inspiration again!), I've also come to the conclusion that my diet and exercise regiment are not where they need to be.
I'm also assuming that I've probably gained weight instead of loosing it this month, even before I get on the scale in about a week and a half. Point of fact, if I see that I've not gained weight again this month, I will be pleasantly surprised. If I have somehow still managed to loose weight, I will be amazed.
Mainly because, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Easter is upon us, and that brings some treats that I don't normally have access to the rest of the year. I've been munching on chocolate and caramel (or peanut butter) eggs after work, and when you couple that with the transition to a new position at work (one that's less strenuous!), yeah - I've probably gained back some of what I lost.
This is despite the fact that I have had only the one can of pop in the last month, and have not had any hot chocolate. I've been having enough chocolate all by itself - it doesn't need to be hot! So I've been drinking tea instead, and having not enough water to drink. Which is to say, I've a sneaking suspicion I'm also currently dehydrated. I also have not been using enough lotion on my skin, but that's another matter.
So, what am I going to do about the exercise issue? Join the gym, as I mentioned in the past before?
Well, no, actually. Since we have that Nordictrack gym set up in the living room, I really shouldn't have to. I fully intend to start riding my bike to work, as soon as it becomes warm enough to do so, which also has the added exercise of having me bike home. Plus, there are plenty of biking trails in the area, so I shouldn't have to worry about that, and the cardio will take care of itself. I might still ump some rope, though. The exercises that I should be doing are simple enough that I really don't need to set foot in a gym; the workbench we have here and a set of good weights should be all that I need to get myself where I want to be.
I consider this to be very good news, as I'd really rather not spend the money any way. I had Dad show me how to use the machine earlier this evening, so I should be able to start working out with it in the morning - providing I can get my butt out of bed early enough!
I'm also assuming that I've probably gained weight instead of loosing it this month, even before I get on the scale in about a week and a half. Point of fact, if I see that I've not gained weight again this month, I will be pleasantly surprised. If I have somehow still managed to loose weight, I will be amazed.
Mainly because, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Easter is upon us, and that brings some treats that I don't normally have access to the rest of the year. I've been munching on chocolate and caramel (or peanut butter) eggs after work, and when you couple that with the transition to a new position at work (one that's less strenuous!), yeah - I've probably gained back some of what I lost.
This is despite the fact that I have had only the one can of pop in the last month, and have not had any hot chocolate. I've been having enough chocolate all by itself - it doesn't need to be hot! So I've been drinking tea instead, and having not enough water to drink. Which is to say, I've a sneaking suspicion I'm also currently dehydrated. I also have not been using enough lotion on my skin, but that's another matter.
So, what am I going to do about the exercise issue? Join the gym, as I mentioned in the past before?
Well, no, actually. Since we have that Nordictrack gym set up in the living room, I really shouldn't have to. I fully intend to start riding my bike to work, as soon as it becomes warm enough to do so, which also has the added exercise of having me bike home. Plus, there are plenty of biking trails in the area, so I shouldn't have to worry about that, and the cardio will take care of itself. I might still ump some rope, though. The exercises that I should be doing are simple enough that I really don't need to set foot in a gym; the workbench we have here and a set of good weights should be all that I need to get myself where I want to be.
I consider this to be very good news, as I'd really rather not spend the money any way. I had Dad show me how to use the machine earlier this evening, so I should be able to start working out with it in the morning - providing I can get my butt out of bed early enough!
Clockworks and welding
We started carrying a few books on Welding at work, and like the idiotic person that I am, I started looking one over. And it has all these fun projects in it that you can make. So, naturally, it started giving me ideas on some fun things I could make for selling at convention, down the road.
I'm still not certain whether picking this book up was a good idea or a bad idea. I am, however, fairly certain that I would not be able to make any of the projects without either a) a full workshop or b) my own home out of the city, as the ordinances governing use of that kind of fire power is pretty extensive. I have enough problems with the mini torch I currently use for soldering! So, probably won't happen any time soon.
In the meantime, I was recently introduced to the comic Girl Genius, which is online at www.girlgeniusonline.com . This is a very fun comic, and it took me about a week to get to the current story. On the plus side, the card game my older brother bought me for Christmas a few years back now has some relevance - I might even figure out how to play it, now!
The crazy thing is, some parts of the comic look familiar, so I suspect he showed it to me in comic-book format some years ago, and I wasn't interested in it at the time. Which wouldn't surprise me any; I went through the same thing with the Xanth series.
The bad news is, this comic has gotten me interested in Steam Punk, which looks rather fun. Which also has relative jewelry that goes with it. So, naturally, I've looked into it and have started working out some pieces. The nice this about this genre is, most of the metals used are copper, brass, and maybe silver, which makes it more affordable to work with. I checked one of my suppliers, and I can get the relevant wire through them with no troubles - sold by the spooled pound, even. And the price is certainly better than buying it by the foot at work, that's for sure!
Since I've some money left over from the bonus I received last weekend (having used most of it to pay some bills), I have looked at and bid on some junk watch lots on ebay, which I plan to hock for some parts for the jewelry I have planned. Meanwhile, I'm resisting the urge to look at other people's designs, as I like to try keeping from being influenced enough to make a design to similar to someone else's. I'd much rather that happen by sheer coincidence.
I'm still not certain whether picking this book up was a good idea or a bad idea. I am, however, fairly certain that I would not be able to make any of the projects without either a) a full workshop or b) my own home out of the city, as the ordinances governing use of that kind of fire power is pretty extensive. I have enough problems with the mini torch I currently use for soldering! So, probably won't happen any time soon.
In the meantime, I was recently introduced to the comic Girl Genius, which is online at www.girlgeniusonline.com . This is a very fun comic, and it took me about a week to get to the current story. On the plus side, the card game my older brother bought me for Christmas a few years back now has some relevance - I might even figure out how to play it, now!
The crazy thing is, some parts of the comic look familiar, so I suspect he showed it to me in comic-book format some years ago, and I wasn't interested in it at the time. Which wouldn't surprise me any; I went through the same thing with the Xanth series.
The bad news is, this comic has gotten me interested in Steam Punk, which looks rather fun. Which also has relative jewelry that goes with it. So, naturally, I've looked into it and have started working out some pieces. The nice this about this genre is, most of the metals used are copper, brass, and maybe silver, which makes it more affordable to work with. I checked one of my suppliers, and I can get the relevant wire through them with no troubles - sold by the spooled pound, even. And the price is certainly better than buying it by the foot at work, that's for sure!
Since I've some money left over from the bonus I received last weekend (having used most of it to pay some bills), I have looked at and bid on some junk watch lots on ebay, which I plan to hock for some parts for the jewelry I have planned. Meanwhile, I'm resisting the urge to look at other people's designs, as I like to try keeping from being influenced enough to make a design to similar to someone else's. I'd much rather that happen by sheer coincidence.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Kicked the habit?
I am happy to announce that I have official kicked my normal medical habits! At least, I appear to have.
Normally, once a year, I get Bronchitis. Which I find pretty annoying, especially since Bronchitis is considered a "smokers disease." Not only do I not smoke, I'm actually very allergic to cigarettes; the scent gives me very bad headaches, to the point of my eyes not focusing. Yet, every fall, there I would be, coughing up yellow junk. XP This started in high school, and I've just put up with it ever since.
Typically, I would get Bronchitis in the Fall. For some reason, a few years ago, it suddenly switched to being in the winter - specifically, in February. I have no idea why the switch happened, but I still found it annoying.
Especially when you factor in sick time - every February, I would completely burn through my sick time, so if I wound up sick from something else in March, I would be out of luck, and wind up going to work with the flu (or whatever).
But here we are - it's March, and I've not had Bronchitis yet. I might have finally gotten over this stupid virus!
Which is good, since I was developing a tolerance to Ammoxicilin. ^^; Now all I have to do is go the rest of the year without getting it, and I should be good. :)
Normally, once a year, I get Bronchitis. Which I find pretty annoying, especially since Bronchitis is considered a "smokers disease." Not only do I not smoke, I'm actually very allergic to cigarettes; the scent gives me very bad headaches, to the point of my eyes not focusing. Yet, every fall, there I would be, coughing up yellow junk. XP This started in high school, and I've just put up with it ever since.
Typically, I would get Bronchitis in the Fall. For some reason, a few years ago, it suddenly switched to being in the winter - specifically, in February. I have no idea why the switch happened, but I still found it annoying.
Especially when you factor in sick time - every February, I would completely burn through my sick time, so if I wound up sick from something else in March, I would be out of luck, and wind up going to work with the flu (or whatever).
But here we are - it's March, and I've not had Bronchitis yet. I might have finally gotten over this stupid virus!
Which is good, since I was developing a tolerance to Ammoxicilin. ^^; Now all I have to do is go the rest of the year without getting it, and I should be good. :)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
And now -- a rant
Okay. So I have mentioned before that I have no love life, and I haven't had a (decent) guy ask me out, or even flirt with me, for years. (By "decent guy," I mean one who's within five years of my age, doesn't smell like a bottle/stale cigars/really bad BO, doesn't have massive gaps between his teeth, is intelligent, has a good sense of humor/is silly (thereby also enabling him to laugh at himself at times), and is fairly cheerful most of the time. Artistic ability/creativity would be nice, too, but isn't required)
Well, last Thanksgiving, we younger people (ie, myself, my brother, and his wife) somehow got onto this topic.
Now, I will be the first person to admit that I have no clue why guys don't ask me out or anything. I mean, I work in a home improvement store, for crying out loud! There are guys everywhere, and I don't mean my coworkers (who I won't date, on the principle of the matter).
So, what do I do? I know how to build things, if need be. I also read online comics, occasionally watch anime, play video games and DnD, and I like to design stuff, and do craft-y things. I'm not in the "too tall" department or the "fatty" category, I have nice teeth and I bathe regularly (nightly, actually; I like feeling clean).
What don't I do? I don't wear perfume - I'm allergic to most of it, so why bother? I also don't wear makeup, and I'm starting to wonder if this is part of the problem. I don't believe I should wear makeup in order to attract a guy; I never have. I don't see the point of dolling myself up in order to attract a guy who would be waking up next to me and seeing me in the morning every day before I have any on. Add to that the simple fact that mother never showed me how to put any on, and doesn't normally wear any herself; I haven't found it necessary. But now I'm starting to wonder if that's why no-one has asked me out in so long; I'm not wearing makeup, therefore I must not need to attract a guy - I already have one? Where's the logic in that? It's like that idiotic song - "she must be somebody's baby, she's so fine" - what? Based on her looks you're going to assume she's already taken, without even asking her? Even without her wearing a ring? Ch-ya! Maybe all the guys on the corner are letting her "walk on by" because they don't have the guts to ask her out! Ever think of that?
So,what got me started on this little rant? A comment, that my brother's lovely wife made in ernest enthusiasm, that effectively ended the minor conversation we were having about relationships. I mentioned that I still didn't have a guy, and what does she say?
"Yeah, we really need to get you laid."
Ex-cuse me? I do not feel that in order to get a guy, much less keep him, I should be expected to automatically put out for one, thankyouverymuch. Quite frankly, after how I was treated in grade school AND high school, I'd like the guy I'd be seeing to be sincere about liking me before I jump into bed with him! I'm certainly going to wait until I'm married, thanks!
Not that she would likely understand about that. She is quite preppy, a "closet Goth," has bad manners, and a high tendency to whine. The exact type of girl that I got along with the least in school. Frankly, the main reason I'm cordial to her is because my brother loves her. I'm not particularly keen about getting to know her any further than I already have. I still can't believe her attitude - my brother opens the Christmas present from our mother to reveal the shirt Mom made for him to wear to work, and she yells, "You are NOT wearing that around me!" right in front of our mother. And needless to say, my brother now cannot find said shirt. She was born with arthritis, though, so I have to admire her determination to not let that stop her in any way, but I still think she was most likely coddled too much as a child.
I let both that comment and the comment about me "really needing to get laid" slide, but the latter of those two has been causing me to seeth for the last few months. They had a mutual friend of ours over during the holiday season, and I didn't visit once - only saw him during Christmas dinner, as they brought him along to keep him from being alone for the holiday. Now, I like him, he's a nice guy - but he's also from overseas, doesn't have a college education, and isn't terribly ambitious, so I feel that relationship is doomed from the start. This doesn't keep my sister-in-law from trying to convince me otherwise. Which is -why- I didn't visit him at their place during the holiday. Because I wouldn't have put it past her to have him try something.
Ch-ya! "I really need to get laid!" Yeah, right! With my luck, I'd either wind up with an STD or an unwanted baby! How many STDs did you wind up with before you met my brother, lady? 5? 10? What's that? "You used a condom?" Well la-te-da - condoms can and do fail, moron! Have you ever stopped to consider that there might be a reason I don't "troll for guys" in a bar (aside from the cigarette smoke issue)? Hah! Troll for sex is more like it! I want a relationship, not a one-night stand, for pete's sake!
And the worst part? I can't believe how irritated and angry I am with her over this! A wise man once said "I will not allow someone to sully my soul by causing me to hate them," and I try to live up to this, I really do. She's making it a bit challenging.
*sigh~* Maybe I should just move to another state or something. Except, I like it here - Nice and green, when there isn't snow on the ground. It's just, you know, lacking in guys, or something.
Well, last Thanksgiving, we younger people (ie, myself, my brother, and his wife) somehow got onto this topic.
Now, I will be the first person to admit that I have no clue why guys don't ask me out or anything. I mean, I work in a home improvement store, for crying out loud! There are guys everywhere, and I don't mean my coworkers (who I won't date, on the principle of the matter).
So, what do I do? I know how to build things, if need be. I also read online comics, occasionally watch anime, play video games and DnD, and I like to design stuff, and do craft-y things. I'm not in the "too tall" department or the "fatty" category, I have nice teeth and I bathe regularly (nightly, actually; I like feeling clean).
What don't I do? I don't wear perfume - I'm allergic to most of it, so why bother? I also don't wear makeup, and I'm starting to wonder if this is part of the problem. I don't believe I should wear makeup in order to attract a guy; I never have. I don't see the point of dolling myself up in order to attract a guy who would be waking up next to me and seeing me in the morning every day before I have any on. Add to that the simple fact that mother never showed me how to put any on, and doesn't normally wear any herself; I haven't found it necessary. But now I'm starting to wonder if that's why no-one has asked me out in so long; I'm not wearing makeup, therefore I must not need to attract a guy - I already have one? Where's the logic in that? It's like that idiotic song - "she must be somebody's baby, she's so fine" - what? Based on her looks you're going to assume she's already taken, without even asking her? Even without her wearing a ring? Ch-ya! Maybe all the guys on the corner are letting her "walk on by" because they don't have the guts to ask her out! Ever think of that?
So,what got me started on this little rant? A comment, that my brother's lovely wife made in ernest enthusiasm, that effectively ended the minor conversation we were having about relationships. I mentioned that I still didn't have a guy, and what does she say?
"Yeah, we really need to get you laid."
Ex-cuse me? I do not feel that in order to get a guy, much less keep him, I should be expected to automatically put out for one, thankyouverymuch. Quite frankly, after how I was treated in grade school AND high school, I'd like the guy I'd be seeing to be sincere about liking me before I jump into bed with him! I'm certainly going to wait until I'm married, thanks!
Not that she would likely understand about that. She is quite preppy, a "closet Goth," has bad manners, and a high tendency to whine. The exact type of girl that I got along with the least in school. Frankly, the main reason I'm cordial to her is because my brother loves her. I'm not particularly keen about getting to know her any further than I already have. I still can't believe her attitude - my brother opens the Christmas present from our mother to reveal the shirt Mom made for him to wear to work, and she yells, "You are NOT wearing that around me!" right in front of our mother. And needless to say, my brother now cannot find said shirt. She was born with arthritis, though, so I have to admire her determination to not let that stop her in any way, but I still think she was most likely coddled too much as a child.
I let both that comment and the comment about me "really needing to get laid" slide, but the latter of those two has been causing me to seeth for the last few months. They had a mutual friend of ours over during the holiday season, and I didn't visit once - only saw him during Christmas dinner, as they brought him along to keep him from being alone for the holiday. Now, I like him, he's a nice guy - but he's also from overseas, doesn't have a college education, and isn't terribly ambitious, so I feel that relationship is doomed from the start. This doesn't keep my sister-in-law from trying to convince me otherwise. Which is -why- I didn't visit him at their place during the holiday. Because I wouldn't have put it past her to have him try something.
Ch-ya! "I really need to get laid!" Yeah, right! With my luck, I'd either wind up with an STD or an unwanted baby! How many STDs did you wind up with before you met my brother, lady? 5? 10? What's that? "You used a condom?" Well la-te-da - condoms can and do fail, moron! Have you ever stopped to consider that there might be a reason I don't "troll for guys" in a bar (aside from the cigarette smoke issue)? Hah! Troll for sex is more like it! I want a relationship, not a one-night stand, for pete's sake!
And the worst part? I can't believe how irritated and angry I am with her over this! A wise man once said "I will not allow someone to sully my soul by causing me to hate them," and I try to live up to this, I really do. She's making it a bit challenging.
*sigh~* Maybe I should just move to another state or something. Except, I like it here - Nice and green, when there isn't snow on the ground. It's just, you know, lacking in guys, or something.
Day dreams, or life dreams?
"A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some of us are gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of the can and swallow them down whole, absent-mindedly and with little relish."
-W. H. Auden
I was just wondering - where does the day dream stop, and where does the life dream start?
You know; you probably often day dream yourself. Where you're going with your job, what you'd do if you had the time/money/connections/whatever. Children certainly day dream all the time; it's part of imagining what you'd be when you grow up. I certainly still day dream; I would like to think most people still do (just not in traffic).
I currently have two Life Dreams that I'd like to see accomplished, and a third that I fear will never be fulfilled.
The first one has more to do with my crafts and suchlike. I would love to be able to support myself with my crafts; I wouldn't have to answer to anybody as a boss, except maybe a business partner. It would be even better if I was able to support myself with my crafts while being able to have a nice house on a bit of land (about an acre) somewhere in a country-ish location (because then I'd be able to breath), but I digress. To be able to work on my own crafting projects, or a project for someone's commission, that would be wonderful.
But there and again, I also want to make a difference in the world, and to that end, I still want to be a math teacher. My main regret on this dream is that it's taken me so fricking long to actually act on it. I still don't really know what I'm doing as far as that goes, so hopefully Ill be able to make a few calls tomorrow and find out what I'm doing. I feel that I should be able to make a difference by helping the young people growing up in the world today realize that math is important, even if it doesn't look like they'll be using it right away. The down side of this is, given all the budget cuts and that there are a lot of teachers who are now finding themselves out of work, it doesn't look like I'll have much of a chance to act upon it. This doesn't mean I won't try, though.
The dying dream has more to do with my love life than anything else. I mean, when I was a kid, I figured by now I would be happily married, maybe with my own kids. I certainly didn't see me being single with only ever having had one boyfriend. Also, I didn't figure on this little fact causing me to put up with what I consider a great annoyance in my life, but that's a rant for another blog. The downer is, this whole I-have-no-love-life-and-no-prospects thing is starting to make me bitter, depressed, and very mopey most evenings, and it's not a state of mind that I like to be in. The "great annoyance" that I mentioned is my sister-in-law, but as I stated a bit a ago, that's a rant for another blog.
I still think dreams are important to people. Loose the ability to dream, and I feel you loose a good chunk of your imagination. Loose a good chunk of your imagination, and all you've got left is reality. :/
(And reality can really suck! ;P )
-W. H. Auden
I was just wondering - where does the day dream stop, and where does the life dream start?
You know; you probably often day dream yourself. Where you're going with your job, what you'd do if you had the time/money/connections/whatever. Children certainly day dream all the time; it's part of imagining what you'd be when you grow up. I certainly still day dream; I would like to think most people still do (just not in traffic).
I currently have two Life Dreams that I'd like to see accomplished, and a third that I fear will never be fulfilled.
The first one has more to do with my crafts and suchlike. I would love to be able to support myself with my crafts; I wouldn't have to answer to anybody as a boss, except maybe a business partner. It would be even better if I was able to support myself with my crafts while being able to have a nice house on a bit of land (about an acre) somewhere in a country-ish location (because then I'd be able to breath), but I digress. To be able to work on my own crafting projects, or a project for someone's commission, that would be wonderful.
But there and again, I also want to make a difference in the world, and to that end, I still want to be a math teacher. My main regret on this dream is that it's taken me so fricking long to actually act on it. I still don't really know what I'm doing as far as that goes, so hopefully Ill be able to make a few calls tomorrow and find out what I'm doing. I feel that I should be able to make a difference by helping the young people growing up in the world today realize that math is important, even if it doesn't look like they'll be using it right away. The down side of this is, given all the budget cuts and that there are a lot of teachers who are now finding themselves out of work, it doesn't look like I'll have much of a chance to act upon it. This doesn't mean I won't try, though.
The dying dream has more to do with my love life than anything else. I mean, when I was a kid, I figured by now I would be happily married, maybe with my own kids. I certainly didn't see me being single with only ever having had one boyfriend. Also, I didn't figure on this little fact causing me to put up with what I consider a great annoyance in my life, but that's a rant for another blog. The downer is, this whole I-have-no-love-life-and-no-prospects thing is starting to make me bitter, depressed, and very mopey most evenings, and it's not a state of mind that I like to be in. The "great annoyance" that I mentioned is my sister-in-law, but as I stated a bit a ago, that's a rant for another blog.
I still think dreams are important to people. Loose the ability to dream, and I feel you loose a good chunk of your imagination. Loose a good chunk of your imagination, and all you've got left is reality. :/
(And reality can really suck! ;P )
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I am lucky.
I know I can sound whiny about things sometimes; time, space available, finances. But there's something that I have come to realize recently, and I feel it needs to be said.
I am lucky.
Not only to be able to take the time to do crafts like I do, but to have space to do them in, even if I feel I could use more.
I have access to saws and tools for working with wood, thanks to my Dad. I have access to sewing machines, and even an embroidery sewing machine, thanks to my Mom. I have access to information about both subjects due to their interest in the topics, and I have access to using their items, which is something that I feel I've been kinda taking for granted. I realize that, once I move out*, I won't have as ready access to these items as I do now, and I also won't have as ready access to my parents as I do right now.
Even though my Dad can grate on my nerves sometimes (and give me instantaneous stress headaches with his swearing), I am thankful for the access that both he and Mom have provided for me and my brother, in allowing us to follow through with what we want to do.
I think I shall see about getting both of them something nice for Father's and Mothers day, this year. ^^
*It will happen. maybe not this year or next year, but it will happen.
I am lucky.
Not only to be able to take the time to do crafts like I do, but to have space to do them in, even if I feel I could use more.
I have access to saws and tools for working with wood, thanks to my Dad. I have access to sewing machines, and even an embroidery sewing machine, thanks to my Mom. I have access to information about both subjects due to their interest in the topics, and I have access to using their items, which is something that I feel I've been kinda taking for granted. I realize that, once I move out*, I won't have as ready access to these items as I do now, and I also won't have as ready access to my parents as I do right now.
Even though my Dad can grate on my nerves sometimes (and give me instantaneous stress headaches with his swearing), I am thankful for the access that both he and Mom have provided for me and my brother, in allowing us to follow through with what we want to do.
I think I shall see about getting both of them something nice for Father's and Mothers day, this year. ^^
*It will happen. maybe not this year or next year, but it will happen.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
It's good, but it can get ugly - fast.
Okay, so one of my friends on Twitter recently Re-tweeted this lovely link: http://www.alternet.org/rights/145956/utah_governor_signs_controversial_law_charging_women_and_girls_with_murder_for_miscarriages
And I can see points for how this is good, and points for how this is bad.
First off, a bit of background on myself: As far as the abortion issue is concerned, I technically fall into both camps. Which is to say, I'm Pro-Life, but I'm also Pro-Choice. And what I mean by that is, I'd rather people not get abortions. There are plenty of people in this country and Canada who are unable to conceive, and they would LOVE to be able to adopt your baby if you don't want to (or simply cannot) keep it. Second, I've seen pictures of what happens to a baby when it's aborted; I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Frankly, I would prefer that the only time a baby is aborted is when the carriage of or birth of the child would endanger the mother's life. But, ultimately, I also believe it should be a woman's choice. This doesn't mean I have to like or even agree with the choice, but it should still be their choice nonetheless.
From what this bill was borne from, apparently a teenager accidentally got herself pregnant, her boyfriend threatened to leave her if she had the baby, and since she didn't want him to leave, she paid someone to beat her up, with the sole purpose of trying to loose the baby. It didn't work, but she still did this. Under this new law, she would have been charged with attempted murder of the unborn child. Since she was already 7 months along (iirc), I can see the reasoning in this; babies are born prematurely at 7 months. If someone pays someone to abort their baby in any way, then I can see them being charged with murder for that. (As I recall, the normal cut-off for being able to abort a baby legally is 3-6 months, I think. Could be as little as 3; not sure on that.)
But, there are a lot of gray areas, here, and that's what concerns me the most.
When I was in high school, I remember one of the math teachers had a miscarriage; her body suddenly rejected the baby, from what I understand. For the next few weeks after it happened, she walked around with such a haunted look on her face, it was painful to see her. And then, of course, you really don't know what to say to a person in that kind of situation; "sorry for your lose" just doesn't seem to cut it.
The thing is, under this law, all it could take is someone saying, "X did it on purpose!" to cause the woman in question to not only be traumatized by her sudden lose, but further traumatized by suddenly being arrested and charged with murder. Don't try to tell me it would never happen; everyone knows how vicious and vengeful women can be - especially if it's a question of woman Y being upset because her boyfriend left her for woman X, married woman X, and when tried to have a baby, she miscarried. If the woman is still seething enough, well hey~! Having your ex-boyfriend's wife charged with murder would be a grand revenge if a woman is that vindictive.
-Will- that ever happen? Possibly not. But it's still possible that it could. There's also the possibility of idiot kids playing that as a joke, not knowing how far it could go, but that's another matter.
Thing is, there are all kinds of ways a woman can lose a baby, on purpose or not. My great-aunt lost her baby when someone on the bus pushed her when she was 6 months along, and she fell - on the baby, who literally burst out of the uterus wall. Lots of blood, and the ambulance wasn't able to get there in time to save the baby. Said great-aunt had to have an emergency hysterectomy, to top it all off - no kids again, ever, and iirc, that would have been her first. Now, under this law, who would be charged? the person who pushed her, or my great-aunt, for not doing enough to fall differently (so as to save the baby)?
So, I like it, and I don't like it at the same time. Regardless, makes me glad I don't live in Utah.
And I can see points for how this is good, and points for how this is bad.
First off, a bit of background on myself: As far as the abortion issue is concerned, I technically fall into both camps. Which is to say, I'm Pro-Life, but I'm also Pro-Choice. And what I mean by that is, I'd rather people not get abortions. There are plenty of people in this country and Canada who are unable to conceive, and they would LOVE to be able to adopt your baby if you don't want to (or simply cannot) keep it. Second, I've seen pictures of what happens to a baby when it's aborted; I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Frankly, I would prefer that the only time a baby is aborted is when the carriage of or birth of the child would endanger the mother's life. But, ultimately, I also believe it should be a woman's choice. This doesn't mean I have to like or even agree with the choice, but it should still be their choice nonetheless.
From what this bill was borne from, apparently a teenager accidentally got herself pregnant, her boyfriend threatened to leave her if she had the baby, and since she didn't want him to leave, she paid someone to beat her up, with the sole purpose of trying to loose the baby. It didn't work, but she still did this. Under this new law, she would have been charged with attempted murder of the unborn child. Since she was already 7 months along (iirc), I can see the reasoning in this; babies are born prematurely at 7 months. If someone pays someone to abort their baby in any way, then I can see them being charged with murder for that. (As I recall, the normal cut-off for being able to abort a baby legally is 3-6 months, I think. Could be as little as 3; not sure on that.)
But, there are a lot of gray areas, here, and that's what concerns me the most.
When I was in high school, I remember one of the math teachers had a miscarriage; her body suddenly rejected the baby, from what I understand. For the next few weeks after it happened, she walked around with such a haunted look on her face, it was painful to see her. And then, of course, you really don't know what to say to a person in that kind of situation; "sorry for your lose" just doesn't seem to cut it.
The thing is, under this law, all it could take is someone saying, "X did it on purpose!" to cause the woman in question to not only be traumatized by her sudden lose, but further traumatized by suddenly being arrested and charged with murder. Don't try to tell me it would never happen; everyone knows how vicious and vengeful women can be - especially if it's a question of woman Y being upset because her boyfriend left her for woman X, married woman X, and when tried to have a baby, she miscarried. If the woman is still seething enough, well hey~! Having your ex-boyfriend's wife charged with murder would be a grand revenge if a woman is that vindictive.
-Will- that ever happen? Possibly not. But it's still possible that it could. There's also the possibility of idiot kids playing that as a joke, not knowing how far it could go, but that's another matter.
Thing is, there are all kinds of ways a woman can lose a baby, on purpose or not. My great-aunt lost her baby when someone on the bus pushed her when she was 6 months along, and she fell - on the baby, who literally burst out of the uterus wall. Lots of blood, and the ambulance wasn't able to get there in time to save the baby. Said great-aunt had to have an emergency hysterectomy, to top it all off - no kids again, ever, and iirc, that would have been her first. Now, under this law, who would be charged? the person who pushed her, or my great-aunt, for not doing enough to fall differently (so as to save the baby)?
So, I like it, and I don't like it at the same time. Regardless, makes me glad I don't live in Utah.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
To go, or not to go?
Okay. One of my online friends (the one that lives closest to me, actually - which is to say, 2 hours away) still plans on going to AC this year. Which is to say, Anthrocon. Its a Furry Con.
I've gone to Furry cons; 3, specifically. They're rather fun. The genre itself has a rather annoying stigma that came about because of a lot of assumptions and few facts on people's part, though, and I find that rather annoying. Otherwise, though, they're fun. Not a lot of bad things to say about a group of people who are basically out to have a good time, and try to make sure everyone else at the con is having a good time, too.
Regardless of this, AC was not in my original plans for this year. But, my friend is arranging a ride with a couple of guys she met online, and she'd like me to come along. For one thing, she's never met these guys in person before, and for another, that makes for another driver for the trip to Pittsburgh. The main problem is, I did the math. Even if I eat fast food for the entire trip, given what our other friend (who usually books the hotel stay for our group of friends) has mentioned the cost of the hotel being, I'm looking at about $400 in expenses, not counting the $45 for registration.
Now, if the arranged ride *does* fall through, that would basically leave me and she stranded, and no way to get to the con. We could always "go Greyhound," of course, but if we do the 21-day advanced purchase offer, that's still $280 for two tickets. Not sure that I want to do that (as I'm not overly fond of taking the bus anymore), more we could do that.
Should I go, I want to have items in the Art Show; from the looks of the numbers in the past, I could potentially make back to money invested in going to the convention this year. Instead of being in the Dealer's Room, I could go for Artist's Alley instead - they take care of the taxes portion of it (one less thing to worry about, though I would still need to file), and it doesn't cost anything to get a table - just an entry into the raffle they have for participants. The year I did the alley was actually the most profitable convention run I'd ever had.
So, the potential to make back what I spend for/at the convention is there. It's just a matter of whether I want to spend the money in the first place. I've already rearranged my budget, and it is feasible; all it would do is delay completion of two cards by about a month, which isn't too bad. And it would be great to see my friends that would be there again.
I think, for now, I'll wing it and see what happens. :/
I've gone to Furry cons; 3, specifically. They're rather fun. The genre itself has a rather annoying stigma that came about because of a lot of assumptions and few facts on people's part, though, and I find that rather annoying. Otherwise, though, they're fun. Not a lot of bad things to say about a group of people who are basically out to have a good time, and try to make sure everyone else at the con is having a good time, too.
Regardless of this, AC was not in my original plans for this year. But, my friend is arranging a ride with a couple of guys she met online, and she'd like me to come along. For one thing, she's never met these guys in person before, and for another, that makes for another driver for the trip to Pittsburgh. The main problem is, I did the math. Even if I eat fast food for the entire trip, given what our other friend (who usually books the hotel stay for our group of friends) has mentioned the cost of the hotel being, I'm looking at about $400 in expenses, not counting the $45 for registration.
Now, if the arranged ride *does* fall through, that would basically leave me and she stranded, and no way to get to the con. We could always "go Greyhound," of course, but if we do the 21-day advanced purchase offer, that's still $280 for two tickets. Not sure that I want to do that (as I'm not overly fond of taking the bus anymore), more we could do that.
Should I go, I want to have items in the Art Show; from the looks of the numbers in the past, I could potentially make back to money invested in going to the convention this year. Instead of being in the Dealer's Room, I could go for Artist's Alley instead - they take care of the taxes portion of it (one less thing to worry about, though I would still need to file), and it doesn't cost anything to get a table - just an entry into the raffle they have for participants. The year I did the alley was actually the most profitable convention run I'd ever had.
So, the potential to make back what I spend for/at the convention is there. It's just a matter of whether I want to spend the money in the first place. I've already rearranged my budget, and it is feasible; all it would do is delay completion of two cards by about a month, which isn't too bad. And it would be great to see my friends that would be there again.
I think, for now, I'll wing it and see what happens. :/
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Month Tallys - February
Not quite two steps forward, one step back, but that still doesn't change the fact that I got virtually nothing done this month!
Pages wrote - 10? I lost track of where I was last time I summarized. I know I didn't spend a lot of time writing this past month.
Projects done: Done? Nothing. Started? One. A cross-stitch work has been laid out on the fabric, but I still have not started stitching as of yet.
Weight check: 195 lbs. I lost .5 pounds in February. I know why, too; I spent way too much time being mopey and depressed, so while I worked out quite a bit (lifting heavy things at work will do that for you), I also indulged in chocolate and other snacks a bit too much. On the plus side, I'm still losing weight; just not as much as I'd hoped to loose this past month.
March shall be better. :)
One thing I need to seriously consider, though - do I want to spend $20 a month on a gym membership? My transfer back up to the services desk went through (yay). On the plus side, this gets me away from the annoying boss and back with one I get along with better. On the down side, it's less labor-intensive, so I won't really be getting my exercise at work anymore.
Cons: Don't want to spend the money.
Pros: Better work-out stuff than what I have at home (like the weights, for one).
-They have a pool, which is nice for during the summer here.
-They have a bike rack, so I don't have to drive there.
Blah.
Pages wrote - 10? I lost track of where I was last time I summarized. I know I didn't spend a lot of time writing this past month.
Projects done: Done? Nothing. Started? One. A cross-stitch work has been laid out on the fabric, but I still have not started stitching as of yet.
Weight check: 195 lbs. I lost .5 pounds in February. I know why, too; I spent way too much time being mopey and depressed, so while I worked out quite a bit (lifting heavy things at work will do that for you), I also indulged in chocolate and other snacks a bit too much. On the plus side, I'm still losing weight; just not as much as I'd hoped to loose this past month.
March shall be better. :)
One thing I need to seriously consider, though - do I want to spend $20 a month on a gym membership? My transfer back up to the services desk went through (yay). On the plus side, this gets me away from the annoying boss and back with one I get along with better. On the down side, it's less labor-intensive, so I won't really be getting my exercise at work anymore.
Cons: Don't want to spend the money.
Pros: Better work-out stuff than what I have at home (like the weights, for one).
-They have a pool, which is nice for during the summer here.
-They have a bike rack, so I don't have to drive there.
Blah.
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