polkadotdotdot

notes on relining a coat

2010-09-26T10:08:00.006-05:00

Relining a coat seemed daunting. Then I took the old coat lining off the coat, divided it into its constituent pieces, traced and cut out the new pieces and it seemed, if not easy, doable. Then I sat down at the sewing machine and had my ass handed to me. It was not my best idea ever to try such a hard project, without a real pattern, when so out of practice sewing clothes.

Notes:

1. It is very confusing to think about wrong sides and right sides, especially if the lining fabric (raw silk) looks the same from both sides. Sorting out how to sew the lining to the coat so that the insides would all be inside took some mind-bending.

2. Raw silk is a pain in the ass. It has a very loose weave and so the edges (where one sews) shred easily. It'd be a good idea to do a zig-zag stitch around the edge of every piece individually.

3. I found sewing the lining sleeve-ends to the coat sleeve-ends completely unvisualizable. After sewing them together wrong, in two different ways, I finally pinned them together how they would logically have to be in the end and somehow led the way. I thought they should be sewn together one inside the other. Not so: they come together like they're shaking hands, and at the last inch the end of the lining sleeve is flipped back on itself. Would have been nice to have taken a picture of this before taking the coat apart. The sleeves turned out okay though.

4. Pockets. Also confusing. Another good subject for a picture pre-deconstruction. These turned out ok--the lower pockets (not pictured) had some problems, but are invisible and functional. They were the first things I sewed onto the coat. Turns out it is best to have the leather on the bottom and the lining on top because the leather stretched out under the sewing machine foot when it was on top. However, sewing w/ the leather on the bottom makes it impossible to see the holes where the old sewing lines went, which may have been a source of some of my other problems (e.g. lining pieces too small). Maybe the solution is a walking foot? The upper pockets were very very confusing, but I eventually sorted them out. Happily--they are also functional and largely invisible. I think more practice w/ pockets would have solved most of my problems here. I tried to do some internet research on pockets, but found the explanations all useless (e.g. "insert the pockets and sew") or incomprehensible.

5. Darts. Making darts where the edges of the coat still need to line up is weird. I guess it produces a curve? Which is a strange thing to sew. It, too, was impossible for me to visualize. In the end, it is a matter of forcing and fussing. My two boob-darts turned out fine. The third dart, where the two bottom flaps come together, was not a curvy dart, just a regular straight dart, which turned out fine until it was attached to the coat. This leads me to #6.

6. I'm pretty sure I did the bottom of the coat wrong. I have no idea how to fix it. There was too much fabric in some places and not enough in others. Since the end of the dart (already a weak point) was one end of the gap in the seam through which I turned the coat inside-out and back several times (due mainly to the sleeves), it is already starting to tear.

7. For some reason, maybe because I (unintentionally) used different seam allowances than the coatmakers did, I ended up with not enough fabric at the top. I fudged it, b/c fixing it would entail starting from scratch. However (especially given the loose weave of the fabric), I fear this will tear, especially given tension from the screwed up bottom. This was one of the last sections I sewed (not counting pockets and sleeves). I think it would have been better to start with the top, since it is so finicky.

8. I chose thread that matched the color of my lining. This was a mistake. A. It made it harder to see the stitches for ripping out wrong seams. B. On the few places where the stitching shows through on the coat, well, it definitely shows through. I think that's a bad idea unless you're going to have contrast stitching everywhere AND you're good enough w/ your machine that the stitches look beautiful. Neither true for me. Happily, those places are few.

9. Good job, me, for remembering to switch to a heavy-weight needle when I started sewing the lining to the coat.

10. In the end, it is good enough, at least until it starts tearing. The color definitely excitens up the coat and the silk will make it warmer. The weird bits are all on the inside, in the back, and not visible when worn. Now, I want to start sewing more clothes from patterns. Ideally, the next time I have to replace this lining, I'll be a whiz at pockets, sleeves, raw silk, leather, and weird coat-flap darts. (Since I probably will have to replace the lining at some point, I wanted detailed notes, which is the main purpose of this blog post.)

. . .

Candy Pickle?

2010-09-26T09:33:00.004-05:00

I think that might be what my nephew named this squeezy amigo, I can't quite remember. Anyway, s/he was a birthday gift for my niece:

Pattern; yarn = Paton's classic wool, in aran, and, I think Shepherd's Wool worsted (in some white or other) which I dyed w/ Kool-Aid (a proud Nebraska product). Size 5 or 6 needles, I think.

I like the swirly feet:

. . .

Blog Post

2010-09-13T22:41:00.004-05:00

For my community-college Spanish class I had to write a blog post that used a lot of past tense verbs. Since I want to use Spanish in my practice, I opted to write about bankruptcy. Whee! Then, for good times only, I put my terrible spanish blog into Google Translator and asked it to translate it back into English for me. Evidently I got a few words mixed up. And Google Translator also sucks.

"I am a bankruptcy attorney. Study Spanish to help me in my work. Then, I write about my work. Sorry, you're probably bored.

Forum Bankruptcy Legally

"When I was a law student in 2007, not ever thought of studying the law of bankruptcy. I hated math. I do not know anything about financial. I knew no one who studied bankruptcy. And yet, I filed bankruptcy about forty last year. After graduating, I brought a job with Legal Aid of Nebraska. The position was one that was open in North Platte. North Platte I never knew, but, however, was the one. A Legal Aid office in North Platte, had only two lawyers, and lawyers practicing all the gals of the law. For example, practiced family law (divorce and custody cases of children) and housing law (evictions).Work also introduced me to the bankruptcies.

"Ten months later, I moved to the Legal Aid office in Omaha. In Omaha, I was given the choice of gals to practice law. I did not like the family law because it is too exciting. But, I learned in North Platte that the law of bankruptcy is not exciting. Additionally, this chick practicing law is like a puzzle, you need to figure out how to protect my clients' assets from bankruptcy court. And finally, the computer program was all mathematical computations. In the end, I chose bankruptcies. Do you think most have no prior work?"

I could explain, but I think it is funnier as is.

. . .

Rocky's Sombrero

2010-07-13T21:07:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday, dear Rocky, happy birthday to you.

Robin's Egg Blue hat, knit w/ Malabrigo (continental blue, left over from DMC's birthday scarf), on size 7s. I think the only alteration was using a pin instead of a button.

. . .

interruption: chapeau

2010-06-22T13:08:00.003-05:00

Bounce pattern requested by the recipient.

Kool-aid dyed wool yarn, can't remember what brand exactly.

Size 10 needles, I think.

Mods: I didn't like the square stockinette decrease, so I did a brioche decrease (more or less): 3 stitches before marked stitch, knit together 2 stitches & a YO. Move stitch back to left needle, and pass marked stitch & its YO over the worked stitch. Move back to right stitch. I did this 4 times per round, every other round, until it got down to around 8-10 stitches, then I fed the yarn through.

If I were to knit this again, I would find a way to knit it in the round. I would also make it smaller. It's pretty big.

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-20T15:23:00.002-05:00

AW, 4/5/2003:

AW:

JC, 1/3/2007: "Destruction of card due to my dog, Scout. Makes it more valuable, n'est pas?"

MEB: "E especially enjoys the hair designing!"

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-20T14:56:00.003-05:00

Group postcard, 2004: "Bobcats rule! You are a bobcat!"--PMcCMcS "Beam." --DCF "Who cares?!! Oh, wait a sec..." --Chef H. "You're so juris-prudent." --SWT

SJP, 2006: "This bird's head belongs in your apartment! Though not in a violent way."

PMcCMcS, 01/20/01 [this date does not seem accurate] [the picture on the card is made out of cloth glued onto it]: "Please keep an eye out for a thermometer that goes above 120 degrees. If I'm going to bitch, I'm going to bitch accurately. ... I've told everyone, 'Mam kiema baoda tumde be Ghana ... a na n waka yesa!' ... To which the typical response is 'Yaa Soma!' ... Laafi bala. So, what's new here? Well, I have some swollen, hot, and extraordinarily itchy bug bites: a mystery roommate. ... Guess who was weirdly staring into my screen door, just now? Mazoo! ... When I first got back, he was peering all over the place, and I figured out that he was looking for you. 'Mam kiema-paga kulame,' I told him. 'My older sibling-woman went home.' To which, in typical Mazoo fashion, Mazoo nodded, blank-faced."

EDD, 02/16/2005: [Charmingly, mostly illegible.]

CMcS, 2/2006: "The Cranes are already here. We can go see!"

AAF, 12/05:

JC, 12/2004:

CMcS, 2/10/2006:

EEB, 1/17/2006:

EEB:

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-20T14:00:00.005-05:00

SWT:

SWT: "I'm excited to see you and your pink pants in a month."

PMcCMcS 10/15/200: [Hot pink on the other side, with silver writing] "Now you can expect all sorts of headache-inducing, chromatically mismatched mail ... can you read this in the dark? Can you read it in a shark? Can you read it with Plutarch?"

MEB & EEB, 2006?:

KJB, 10/30/04:

MH, 12/20/2002. This card was hard to scan because it has a hard plastic pink stuck to the top with adhesive. It came that way. At the bottom, it says, "Accidents will occur in the best-regulated families. Charles Dickens (1812-1870)." : "(It's the one I wanted to get you in the summer, but I don't recall if you got one, anyhow, it's smelly juniper.)"

SWT, 3-5-2002: "Also! Don't forget to pack the silk long johns! ... You're finito! Capisco? ... Till Scandinavia!"

HMF, 12/10/02: "I'm taking a vacation from my vacationfor a few weeks, then I'm afraid it will really be time to stop goofing around and go to work."

JC, QOP, 1/2003:

HMF, 2/22/2003: "We got two feet of snow and now it's warm and raining and we have flood warnings."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-18T15:25:00.004-05:00

I would like to take this opportunity to say that I take full responsibility for any typos that appear to be attributed to other people in these postcards.

Also: the post office's new way of stamping mail sucks. The date and place of mailing is not legible. What's the point? Sheesh.

SWT:

HMF, 2004 [this is purple in real life]:

EEB, 4/16/05:

A law firm ad, pre-market crash: "The [law firm] Summer Associate Program: Glamorous work, lavish meals, theatre tickets. Your basic deal with the devil."

HMF: "I bought my first 21g of glitter today."

LT, 2/2/05:

LT, 3/17/05:

DF: "Last night was B's bachelor party. I won poker money from drunk people. ... This skimboard was constructed from wood taken off the hands of the folk at the Seattle ReStore, which is of course the awesome ancillary project of Habitat for Humanity. It has excellent lightweight and compact size for getting to the beach, with the smoothest, most frictionless skim of any board yet constructed by Eladrin Constructs!"

PAK: "!, P"

AAF, 12/17/04: The best thing about this card is that A crossed out the "season's greetings" that came prewritten on it and wrote "Merry Christmas!" underneath. The second best thing is that she says she's "sorry that grad school is flying past."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T17:21:00.001-05:00

One binder done.

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T17:08:00.002-05:00

HMF, 11/1/06: "I hope this gets to you in time for election day. I voted absentee here in South Dakota and they had the stickers available when I picked up my ballot at the courthouse. I always know more about the issues here than in DC. I'm roasting pumpkin seeds and waiting for bread to rise."

AAF, 3/6/97: "Just wait to see my hair - ultra perky."

RLY, 9/23/99: "Dearest Anne, This is a precursor for things to come. Are the Annapolis Bars open on Monday?!?"

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T16:36:00.004-05:00

RLY, 10/15/98: "How are your sweaters?"

CMcS & JMcC, 2/19/00: "Gramma is wel. I am well. So there you have it!"

EDD, 10/4/00: "Happy 22nd birthday (you're as old as me, for now)."

The T&R Train, 11/26/06: "After desayuno we'll climb the biggest pyramid in the world, bigger at the base than even the largest Egyptian pyramids. Now it has a Catholic church perched on top. This is kind of a metaphor for Mexico. ... We've also seen more ads for ANACONDAS!!! and an art exhibit of frogs with huge naughty bits."

SWT: "Hi ANNE WORD UP"

SWT & AW, 12/1/00

TTF: "POSTCARD BY TIMO"

JAMcS, 9/17/90: "I bought this postcard in New York in honor of War & Peace. I wish I was still studying that, as Hegel is a very hard guy to understand."

SPF, 9/25/98: "There is a path around the lake and at lunch time a bizarre assortment of humans patrol the perimeter. A really pained-looking woman running, a couple of goth girls heading towards the water and just now this woman on roller blades stopped at the drinking fountain and is holding up her very small dog so it can drink, weird."

MLB

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T16:12:00.003-05:00

SWT, 1/2/00: "Hawaii - or at least this hotel - is absolutely Beautiful! Here's to tropical paradise!!"

HJF, 10/3/98

AAF, 8/31/98: "You & me, Cutie: Cowgirl intellectuals - fastest draws in academia - belles of the lasso set: hair blowing hte wind, hats in hand, riding our own white horses into the sunset."

HMF

TJC, 1998: "Speaking of flesh, I hear that Randy 'The Body' Savage, an ex-WWF wrestler got elected governor of Minnesota in my absence. That's almost as good as the democrats losing the Congress while I was in Russia. Paris is great, still. I think it is increasing my virility. ... Keep up the fight. Bye."

lost.postcards@gmail.com, 10/13/04: SMOKED HAM RUMP PORTION

CMcS, 8/26/96 [shortly after I left for college]: "Well, you're not home! I hope you're where you're supposed to be. ... Roof is still on."

AR, 7/7/99: "That woman on the pedestal is my host mom. Her name is Grace #1."

HMF, 1/16/05

SWT, 8/31/01

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T15:43:00.003-05:00

HMF, 8/2/01

HDL: "This honey is incredibly viscous..."

RLY, 10/29/98: "We are driving at a reasonable & prudent speed of 91mph. ... We rejoiced in the sounds of "When PE meets life" early this morning. It might have been playing when we ran out of gas & had to get a ride with a 'Misisipi' State Trooper. S is bonding w/ the road. This where I was born!!"

JEMcS, 6/3/00: "I will be amazed if this reaches you - as Dad gave me the address from his memory."

RLY, 9/25/98: "I am addicted to free time now." [I wish.]

AAA, 1/19/99

NCW, 2/12/95: "Hiya Toots. I just finished competing in the under 20 men's foil competition. It woudl be fairly safe to say that I got 'my clock cleaned.' ... The only entertainment has been lying in the sun and listening to Kienan have conversations with himself regarding the eating of human fingers. Wul, aah beep beep aah wiz wiz."

JK, 1996: "The only picture I ever took with you in it, I think... It's an awful negative - looks like a shitty beer commercial ... Anyway ... "

SPF: "How do YOU feel about bicycles?"

DF, 3/3/99: "Why would someone ask a question on a postcard? Things are still good here, getting ready forsummer superioricity. This postcards flys really gwheal, in kase hwyieae argkyn naid oph. ein aerochynamic dewastation!"

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T15:19:00.003-05:00

AAF, 3/6/98: "Was up last night. Drunk juice, stayed out till 12:00, part of the routine."

MH, 7/3/99: "E and I visited this castle that used to defend us from the Russians."

CMcS

CMcS, 1998: "Grumbled all the way out here about how far it was (7 hr). -- Now eating grumble pie! It's so beautiful!"

JEC, 6/6/97: "School here is okay. I am taking agricultural economics and chemistry and working the night shift at a local hotel. I do cleaning, breakfasts, and 'security' from 11pm to 7am." [You cannot keep this family down.]

PMcCMcS: "'Too Nice for the Ragbag!' HA HA HA!"

HMF: 2/12/02: "In case you're wondering, those are strawberry prints - it happened by accident at work so I saved the paper."

EGP, 5/00: "I saw this postcard in a magazine last year. Frankly, I am not sure why I bought it or even chose this to send to you."

HF, 11/27/98: "Unfortunately, our favorite Goodrich has been turned into a goddamn bagel shop. Who eats that much bread? ... Is your hair still blonde? ... Have you ever considered dying your skin? ... Now that I live on my own, I am not only unfashionable (for UNL), I wear dirty clothes. ... Sorry to confuse you a few weeks ago, but I heard you had found a man. My mistake."
[Contender for best postcard ever.]

NCW, 7/1/94: "Syracuse, New York (home of the largest Michelin tire man on earth...)"

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T14:59:00.004-05:00

Parents, 10/04/02

HMF, 3/12/03: "Greetings from the other sunshine state - did you know that South Dakota also lays claim to the nickname?"

TF: "Fold outside top of card back as indicated for display."
MVA & AA: "No doubt Hegel himself would appreciate the attempt to make his abstract system concrete (not to mention color-coded)."
MRG, 9/9/96: "Ok, ok - I got e-mail!"

HMF, 1/19/03: "We've been eating grits with our morning eggs now!"

KJE, 8/1/01: "Our schedule for tomorrow is to purchase a cake pan (there are ripe raspberries in the garden!) and a "vasta" (a bundle of birch branches w/ which one beats oneself in the sauna) and then have a cold swim and a sauna."
TPC: "I find, you find, he finds, we find, y'all find, they find (ind is silent)"

HMF, 12/12/04: "I don't think I'll ever get tired of green."

AAF, 4/28/05: "Happy law school efforts."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T01:02:00.003-05:00

CMcS: "Ho Ho Ho"

MH, 10/4/04:

The T&R Train, 10/29/00: "We have to make big plans for Xmas. Maybe dig some graves? ... Love, Pips & Tootles"

LS & JK

RLY, 3/3/00: "My exhaustion has hit, just as spring break came. I think I'd like a nap this afternoon. Then I'll clean the apt. Tomorrow I must be up very early to get to the OR to see a cardiac surgery." [Typical vacation for RLY.]

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T00:41:00.004-05:00

PW, 5/3/99: "The entire W family anxiously awaits word on the outcome of the latest St. John's - Naval Academy croquet set-to."

AR, front:

Back:

BMcC:

CJM, 2/3/98: "I'm in the Army. ... The high points are breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mail."

AAF, 3/7/98: "But it's the picture I like - the stars on the jeans."

HAH, 9/25/98: Front

Back:

SWT & RLY, 10/31/98: "I'm eating a coooooookie w/ organic flour! Can you believe it?! ... Nebraska ... Ahhhh"

JT, 1/1/99: "The beeswax mold of the state is decorating our Christmas tree."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-13T00:16:00.005-05:00

JAMcS: "Flowerman says - Thanks for the funky xmas present."

SWT: "I thought you might enjoy some of these books! ... The rest are yours to read, rip, eat, shred, or pass on. Well."
RLY, 5/7/99: "There were a lot of punks in Berlin. They increased my enjoyment."

The T&R Train, 4/23/99: "We are in Roma right now & there are an annoying amnt of domes. T tells me they're churches. R lies, there are no churches in this place, only temples of sacrilege & decadence. ... Quote from R: 'I'd like to hear some Skynyrd right now.'"

KJE, 2/26/00: "Please dress formally."

DF, 1/1/99
JC, 1/22/00
MRG: "For straight up rock yer sox off rock 'n' roll, you need Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes. Magical."

MH, 10/4/99:

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-12T23:53:00.005-05:00

SPF, 2/11/97: "Seen Star Wars yet? I was among the sick masses who went opening night. It was nuts. I went with this guy who was kind of drunk - I think he had more fun than most of us, he kept shouting, "It's SO spiritual! ... Hey, send some mail to Erik, he sprained his ankle and is on crutches."

BMcC, 9/25/00: "I hope you are enjoying the working world. Are you still writing commercials?"

KJE, 10/4/99

JEMcS

AR: "You make good soup. Happy Birthday."

AW, 2000:
HMF, 12/7/01
JFCIII, 10/19/98: "I'm on a train rolling into NYC just now. The World Trade Center Towers are on my right and teh wastes of New Jersey spread out on my left."

JAMcS: "Sooner or later everyone's ready for a refreshing break!"

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-12T23:04:00.004-05:00

SWT:

L&MH: "Happy 21st! I can't bust you now!"

BMcC:
JH 9/14/98:

SWT, 1/29/00: "I wonder if you are swimming on your roof! ... I'm listing to my favorite over-dramatic music = Depeche Mode! It helps you blow everything out of proportion."

SWT:

BMcC:

AAF, 3/20/99: "How can I get paid to travel?" [Side note: AAF now works for the state department.]

TJC, 1/15/99: "been hanging around Prague (see picture), not a good likeness...my Hebrew is getting better though."

MH, 1999: "Fortunately the weather here isn't quite as cold as on the card, although I've had a dip in quite a cold water."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-12T22:18:00.006-05:00

BMcC, 5/30/00

NCW, 1/13/99: "I wish I spoke Spanish."

JAMcS, 3/26/99: "P.S. California is still great. I'm having a whale of a time here w/ all my old friends, dolphins, and assorted plank-ton."

DF, 10/98: "Been having crazy dreams too, angels and such."

RR, 9/01: "The time is now!"

JEMcS: "Be careful, Bob Dole wants to cut the Department of Education altogether."

JH, 9/14/98: "It costs $1.00 for a day pass of the buss system, which runs all day."

BIO'N, 9/25/98

JH 9/14/99: "There's much which could be said about what's going on here, but there's not much room here."

DJI: "To: ACMcS, St. John's College of Hair Design
...
Wouldn't it be weird if you had a mystery uncle?"

DF: "Speak the rhythm all alone I'm together with your plan Your parents got a cabin in Iowa! ... Got your tape and it changed my mind. ... See you soon!

NCW, 6/7/95: "This morning I listened to a lecture on the importance of tri-tone substitution over diminished chords. ... Butch was wearing a pink silk shirt that was only button halfway, fully exposing his very sweaty chest."

. . .

postcard project

2010-06-12T21:30:00.005-05:00

APC, 6/10: "Dear Anne... ...How nice!"
PMcCMcS, 2005(?): "A Burkinabé man on the airplane taught me that the word 'excité' means 'excited.' So, I went on to say 'I am excited to go to Africa!' 'I am excited to mean my host family.' Yeah. I found out today that it means 'sexually aroused.'"

JC, 6/25/05

T&R Train, 1/26/99: "I saw this guy on a motorcycle run into some other guys just standing. One of them sprayed him with pepper spray. It was crazy. There was a knife...It was after T & I went to a bar. My first really.... Nice people, though they offer you drugs & sex, it seems, just to be friendly. ... I'm back in Paris where only 50 yr olds offer you sex but despite that it is nice to be 'home.'"

NCW, 7/10/01: "Yesterday we spent about six hours in immigration while the Canadians worked on resolving work permit issues. We shared a tiny windowless room with none other than Gladys Knight and the Pips, who were having similar problems. Actually, Gladys pretty much sailed right through, but the Pips... ....Finally they figured everything out for us...but then the border patrol realized they had mixed up our passports and given them to a family of six heading to Lansing."

TJC, 4/2/99: "Piss n' vinegar is the recipe for that cookie."

MH, 8/10/01

SWT, 3/22/1: "I'll have to sum up Amsterdam w/ this: Cats on bar stools. Wet dogs shaking off on a rainy day in a cafe. Eat chickens while you can!"

From SWT: 3/20/02: "Basically I just sat on one couch + the whole world came over to chat!"

CMcS

JEMcS: "I read 200 pages yesterday - the general gist of it was 'Children are poor and that's bad.'"

TJC & RLY

. . .

mariney beanie

2010-02-20T13:07:00.005-06:00

For those nasty Santa Cruz winters:

Noro's Cash Iroha (silk, lamb's wool, cashmere, nylon), in color no. 46, which is a navy blue with a silk-induced gray iridescence to it. Jared Flood's Koolhaas pattern, knit as written, with a couple mistakes here and there. The yarn calls for needles sized 8-10, the pattern for needles sized 6-8. I used 6 & 8, and could easily have gone smaller for a thicker, smaller hat. It's a little big, as you can see.

. . .

ghana glam

2010-01-10T23:41:00.003-06:00

Using these easy instructions, I made these earrings (+ some other pairs) using beads handmade in Ghana, plus some little blue ones I had from a stretched-out bracelet.

. . .

a little more snow (there is always more snow)

2010-01-10T23:29:00.002-06:00

I dug this out (this plus one more snowstorm). It took 2 hours.

This is going to brain me:

Deep blue snow.

. . .

knitted ones and loved ones

2010-01-10T22:48:00.009-06:00

RLY's apple cozy (now keeping apples everywhere warm [and unbruised-in-the-bag]) (I think this is a bit of leftover malabrigo):

LMV's fingerless gloves (misti alpaca bulky [brown], and leftovers from the kiddy hats):

(+ smooth doggy nose)

LTM's hat: I held the cream color double, the effect of which made the hat very cylindrical and probably too warm (leftover green from ALMcS's pompom hat, plus cream paton's classic wool, I think, and brown sheep bulky blue):

EEM's bday xmas tree scarf (misti alpaca handpaint bulky, garter stitch, size 13s):

+ xmas matching earband (headband? something), buttons courtesy of my mom's button box ("pattern" mine, inspired by PMcCMcS):

Scary spice, in use (+ doggy):

JEC's xmas scarf (more misti alpaca handpaint bulky yarn, garter stitch, size 13s):

The scarf in action, the picture also notable for being the scarf's recipient's wedding day to Mr. Cinch, there:

Happy.

The forced march through the xmas/birthday knitting is now complete. I now have to break myself of the video-viewing habit, which kept my brain in check while my fingers did the walking.

. . .

snow

2010-01-10T22:40:00.002-06:00

xmas knits and baked goods

2009-12-29T19:09:00.008-06:00

TJR's noro stripey scarf:

SAMcS's fingerless gradient gloves:

SAMcS's EZ ribwarmer:

PF's brioche-in-the-round hat:

Finnish pulla:

Pea quiche:

An old friend, Steam Shovel:

CGMcS's hat n mittens:

ALMcS's scottish golfer hat:

And tiny silly thumbless mitts:

IJMcS's nosewarmer (KJB's nosewarmer unseen here):

SAM's slightly wall-eyed slippers.

Plus 4 unphotographed beer cozies for my brother, bro-in-law, nephew, and dad.

A few more items in the works, stay tuned...

schlurp schlurp burp schlurp

2009-11-23T23:07:00.002-06:00

One of Lulu's best tricks, invented by my brother.
. . .

crunch and crack

2009-11-23T10:17:00.005-06:00

I got into a fender bender w/ the Country Squire (crunch). She and I and everyone else involved are fine, but for various reasons the incident necessitated me finding my own car. Voila:

Tragically, on the first day I bought it a rock jumped up and bit the windshield (crack). I'm over it now, though.

Anyway, we have here one of those adopt-and-rename situations. "Fit" is too tidy. It's a dead heat between The Red Menace and The City (Urban?) [E]Squire. I'll take votes and other suggestions too.

The ol' Country Squire is for sale now, if someone wants a mostly functional sweet old thing great for hauling your stuff around.

This blog seems to mostly be about vehicles.

. . .

pictures

2009-10-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

Saw The September Issue, got excited about taking pictures again, drove home, yawn.

. . .

it's a chopper baby

2009-10-20T17:26:00.002-05:00

as requested:

. . .

the truth-telling bradley turns 41

2009-10-13T23:03:00.004-05:00

And gets a birthday present:

If you give them cuffs, they should fit bottles too.

Evidently the tabs on MHL cans are not similarly situated w/r/2 the can design. Fascinating. So much to learn about the high life.

. . .

Miss Pronounce

2009-10-08T08:36:00.006-05:00

epitome (ep-ih-tome)
chaos (chouse)
chihuahua (chih-hoo-a-hoo-a)
macabre (mackaber)
devour (d'vore)

Mostly learned through reading and not realizing that they were the same word that I'd heard pronounced. I still screw up the last two.

There are more. There was a good one the other day that I forget now.

. . .

pictures (Allied Chemical)

2009-10-07T23:16:00.009-05:00

Probably the last 70-degree day in Nebraska this year (today, Dodge St.):

The Slowdown floor, during the Minabirds' debut (last week):

DMC et al. watching JB (Empty Room, a few weeks ago):

More Empty Room (same night):

Seatbelt (Country Squire, September sometime).

Sunny Day Back Porch (Sept.):

and let's not forget these good times (09/05/09):

I'm still working on pictures of the scooter. It's cold now.

(a later note: the pictures are really better if you click on & embiggen them)

. . .

banksy

2009-10-06T09:35:00.003-05:00

See more here.

. . .

how a sewing machine works

2009-10-05T13:45:00.006-05:00

I never had any idea.

. . .

a knitting revolution in the making

2009-10-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/05/easier-way-to-kitchener-stitch-also.html

. . .

an unanticipated consequence

2009-09-28T22:00:00.001-05:00

of the scooter (red, vino, natch): not so much with the NPR. the morning alarm will have to matter again.

conflate

2009-09-28T21:55:00.002-05:00

to blow together (hence, inflate, deflate). Not, as I thought, to switcheroo.

. . .

polka dot

2009-08-19T16:39:00.003-05:00

from Bird & Banner

. . .

The NYT on Women at War

2009-08-18T09:57:00.000-05:00

Here. "Like many commanders who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, [Col. Burt K. Thompson] said that women have ended the debate over their role by their performance."

. . .

10 miles per gallon

2009-06-09T13:57:00.002-05:00

I think I will drive my other unair-conditioned car until it sells.
. . .

the country squire

2009-06-01T20:14:00.002-05:00

My borrowed wheels, thanks to NPW and my own busted wheels:

The gas gauge is broken, the gear shift points to N when it should point to D, things are a little sticky, and there's a trick to getting the key in the ignition.

And this is the hole in the dashboard where I'm convinced an animal lives:

But she plays Superhits 99.9 KGOR just fine and when I'm in her, I own the road.

. . .

DMB+MR 5/24/09

2009-05-27T10:44:00.005-05:00

DMB & MR (got married and) received some nuptial napkins (I hope I'm not ruining the surprise here people) on Sunday.

A few notable new design elements for ACMcS Napkins Co. include: one set/different fabrics (this one is my favorite);

color-coordinated thread (this is a lemon yellow, tho it appears white);

the doubled hemline;

and (a new skill and part of the reason for dreaming up the doubled hemline), attempts at mitered corners.

Here's an member of an older set I've been visiting in Boston for the past few days:

Hand-sewn, wider hems, and brains!
. . .

six years in the making

2009-04-16T19:22:00.007-05:00

No real excuses for the time it took, but at least it's done: voila, Mark & Amy's wedding quilt.

It's a quilt based on Hegel's philosophy (of course). Here's the diagram: link.

Click on the timestamp of this post for more pictures.

The System of the Universe:

Philosophy of the Classical Antiquity: the Ancient Greeks (apparently I didn't take photos of the rest of the Philosophy of the Classical Antiquity):

Detail where I succumbed to embroidery. I now note there's an M (upside down) right there.

World History:

The Judgment:

The Syllogism:

The title:

Wouldn't rotate for some reason:

Wedding date (yes, 5 years ago):

The quilt back, kind of wrinkly, but done, anyway:

. . .

dancing and other helpful things

2009-02-04T13:49:00.001-06:00

Dancing guy:

50 things everyone should know how to do

via things to do today.

amazing video on how jeans are made

2009-02-02T22:43:00.000-06:00

via TrueUp

I just found this out

2009-01-24T13:41:00.003-06:00

Protestants believe in saints, but they believe that the way that the Catholics pray to them and request their interceding assistance is necromancy.

. . .

Whoops!

2009-01-23T11:50:00.001-06:00

I forgot the obligatory picture of Lulu. This one was about how tiny she can roll up, but she unrolled a bit right before I took the picture.

. . .

obamicon

2009-01-23T11:47:00.002-06:00

. . .

too long

2009-01-23T11:02:00.007-06:00

For some reason I have stopped taking photos and posting to this blog. So I will now attempt to rectify that. I like photos. I should take them. So here are a few from the past few weeks in reverse chronological order.

I made this hat for one of my colleagues at work. It is a great, rich brown color and I can't remember any more details than that. It is all ribs (k3, p2) has a cool decreasing sequence not particularly evident here but clear in the pictures with the pattern. Here's the pattern.

This past weekend, MLKJDay, and Inauguration Day were spent with my brother, his wife, and their dog. Once again, few photos were taken, but here's my brother with his wovel.

LTM in his Xmas apron. The apron was constructed according to this terrific pattern. The ties are adjustable so it should fit all manner of folks. I have no idea where the fabric is from--I just found it in one of my overflowing tubs. The green is a heavyweight and the blue/white used to be a tablecloth. Now it comprises the tie and the somewhat haphazard decorative patches.

Here, cutting up the best duck I've ever eaten.

Two weekends ago, SAH (I think those are her initials? hmm, can't remember), ARP and I attended the Benson Bunnies/Omaha North Vikings high school basketball game. The Bunnies and the Vikings are big rivals, I'm told. The Bunnies did well in the first quarter, and although their play deteriorated a lot in the following 3, they still managed to pull out a win. No doubt, I am obsessed with the fact that they are called the Bunnies. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the t-shirts that said, in scary font, BEWARE THE HARE.

The Runnin' Rabbits:

Bunny Pride:

SAH and ARP:

The tough-guy strangely-dressed-like-Rocky Bunny mascot:

Home of the Bunnies:

My brother's Xmas present. The pattern, modified in length and width for a tall, broad-shouldered guy, is Elizabeth Zimmermann's Ribwarmer. The yarn is Paton's Classic Wool Aran. This is the first time I've knitted an attached i-cord border and I think it worked out pretty well. I still need some practice in joining the end to the beginning. I attached an old tag with his name on it that I found in one of my mother's sewing boxes and would have posted a picture of it here, except, well, it has his name on it. It was also my first time blocking something and I wonder how people do it without getting those little waves where the pins are. They are especially noticeable along the bottom.

The Mystic Valley Band, my new officemates:

In other news, I have a terrific new roommate. Perhaps she too will appear here soon.

. . .

Ipod dock from binder clips

2008-11-11T11:15:00.000-06:00

via not martha.

. . .

if only we could all age so gracefully

2008-11-10T15:47:00.002-06:00

. . .

everybody celebrating Obama's victory

2008-11-09T23:18:00.000-06:00

. . .

Africans celebrating Obama's victory

2008-11-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

. . .

coolest headline ever

2008-11-07T17:43:00.000-06:00

Obama Wins Omaha, NE Electoral Vote

Obama, President, Fondateur

2008-11-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

From this site.

. . .

Obamaha

2008-11-06T14:49:00.000-06:00

Obama might get Omaha's 1 electoral vote.

I'm so proud!

. . .

netflix and beer

2008-11-04T15:00:00.002-06:00

now has "watch instantly" movies for mac.

in the good-idea-that-didn't-occur-to-me-category: drinking draft beer is greener than drinking bottled.

. . .

I Voted Today

2008-11-04T10:39:00.005-06:00

I stood in line for an hour and a half to vote in Precinct 38 this morning. It was my first time to vote for President actually in Nebraska--the other three times I voted absentee. I could have voted early, by mail or by going to the commissioner's, but I wanted to do it in person, at the polling place, I wanted to stand in line. When I left, there were still as many people waiting to vote as there were when I got in line--I estimate 60. At 9:45 am, I was the 89th person to vote , and at the last election, at my precinct, a grand total of 160 people voted. For some reason, Precinct 34, which also votes at the AV Sorensen Center in Dundee, had a very short list of registered voters and no line whatsoever.When I get in the booth, I always get nervous that I'll accidentally vote for the wrong person. I'm pretty sure I didn't.

The folks behind me--a mixed race couple and their voting-age son--provided an enjoyable eavesdrop, until they realized that they were in Precinct 34 and could skip to the front of the line. The mother, who was white, was exhorting her companions about how important it was to vote, and how she had seen on tv that Bush had stolen the past two elections and she wasn't going to let that happen again. The woman's son kept warning her that she should be quiet, because the Republicans might "jump" her, a possibility she viewed with enthusiasm. When the son said that he wanted to go home and have a bowl of cereal, or at least go sit in the car and wait, his mom told him that too many people had died for him to get the vote, and besides, "Can't nobody come get you when it's time."

I think the mother, along with several other people in line, distrusted the election officials. The guy who kept coming along and inviting Precinct 34 people to jump the line was met with skepticism. At least one person told him he was perfectly happy to wait in line. And the first time the guy came along, the son behind me asked his mother if she knew where they were supposed to vote (hoping that they were 34 folks)--she bridled in response and said, "Of course I know where we're supposed to vote! Right here!" It was only the second time that the guy came by with his Precinct 34 speech that she got her card out to check.

All very exciting. I don't know how I'll concentrate today.

Folks waiting to vote, view from inside the polling place.

. . .

bushels of acres

2008-10-29T10:06:00.003-05:00

Also in the potentially helpful I-had-no-idea category:

How much is a bushel? I was envisioning a bushel as one of those baskets you put apples in at apple-picking places. Not so. It's much bigger: 2,150 cubic inches, which is about as helpful as "a bushel". More helpful, if you're a baker: a bushel is approximately 42 pounds of flour, so if you imagine 42 of those 1-pound sacks of flour, you can see that a bushel = a lot. All this information comes from this site, which notes, helpfully: "The average person may never actually measure anything in terms of a bushel, but having a basic understanding of this form of measurement may certainly help city folk during that next visit to the orchard or farm." Also it will helps me understand the $19.99 for a bushel of apples sign on Leavenworth St. (a lot of apples: 42-48 pounds-worth). This is confusing, because it appears to be both a volume metric and a weight metric, but I guess 44 pounds of apples takes up approximately 2,150 cubic inches. I think it would be cool to start measuring things in terms of bushels, say, when moving: I guesstimate (my favorite form of math) I have about 150 bushels worth of stuff, give or take. Next time I move, I'll try to remember to measure it.

And an acre? Well, I was interested to discover that an acre is a measure of area and therefore does not require a particular shape. Similarly, a "square foot" need not be one foot by one foot square--it could be a rectangle with some fraction of a foot on one side and a foot plus a fraction on another side--or it could be a nonrectilinear shape altogether. An acre is equal to 43,560 square feet. For you sports fans out there, it's about 76% of a football field, or 100% of a football field minus the end zones and about 9 yards from one end. A square 40-acre parcel (e.g. "40 acres and a mule") is 1/4 mile by 1/4 mile. The other way to get a good idea for this is to go on to your county assessor's website, look up a property you're familiar with, and see if the acreage is listed.

Happy measuring.

. . .

loan v. lend

2008-10-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

This is something I did not know. Lent is the past tense of lend. Loaned is the past tense of loan. I always hesitated at lent, believing loaned was proper. Lend-lent has a bring-brang, mend-ment tend-tent, feel to me, I don't know why--it's not like there isn't send-sent, bend-bent, rend-rent, or that I thought lend-lended was right. But loan, the verb, is historically incorrect (although it's considered correct in the US now). Here are the rules, from bartleby.com:

USAGE NOTE: The verb loan is well established in American usage and cannot be considered incorrect. The frequent objections to the form by American grammarians may have originated from a provincial deference to British critics, who long ago labeled the usage a typical Americanism. Loan is, however, used to describe only physical transactions, as of money or goods; for figurative transactions, lend is correct: Distance lends enchantment. The allusions lend the work a classical tone.

Happy Tuesdays, all.

. . .

p.s.

2008-10-27T22:35:00.003-05:00

as you can see over there in the corner, I'm trying to rebuild my een per dag habit.
If you want me to take on a weekly theme, let me know, and feel free to suggest themes. I guess we'll see if anybody's still bothering to read this ol' blog.

DIY

2008-10-27T22:32:00.002-05:00

I am now the world's foremost authority on troubleshooting thermostats. I still don't have a working one, but I have determined that fault is in the thermostat, and not in the installation. And I know how to put one on upside-down, even.

debutante

2008-10-08T18:28:00.004-05:00

A colleague and I will be talking about Legal Aid of Nebraska, foreclosures, and other consumer-law issues on tv tonight for a local public-access show called the Latino Perspective (channel 22).

Omaha

2008-10-06T12:32:00.002-05:00

For the first time ever, I will be voting in a place where my vote might actually change something.

. . .

everlasting cookies

2008-08-28T21:51:00.003-05:00

I made these cookies tonight. Really, I started making them three days ago. Then the butter softened for a day, and then the dough sat, as the recipe insists, for another 36 hours. Also, I used only regular flour, ghirardelli chocolate chips, and, for the first time, my own vanilla extract. I tried to make them as big as they say (generous golf balls) but maybe I just don't play golf enough. I got 30 cookies, whereas they got 16 for the same batch. And they're still plenty big and taste pretty good. SH, my roommate, declared them the best she'd ever tasted. I don't know if I can say the same, but maybe my tongue is exhausted from all this working out I've been doing.

Mine don't look like this, but who cares:

Mine are not so flat. The salt-sprinkled on top is genius.

. . .

wild rumpus

2008-08-21T14:43:00.002-05:00

Lulu and I have a couple of new roommates, as aforementioned. Here's one of them in action.

Meet Bernadette, aka Birdie, everyone.

. . .

i am done with this book:

2008-08-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

do you want it? It's ok. The fontsize is too big and the ending's disappointing, but I'll mail it to anyone who wants it.

. . .

p.s.

2008-08-17T21:04:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have done Alaskan architecture and J&B a disservice by forgetting to mention that unlike a lot of other buildings there, their house is beautiful.

Also, there is this cool museum:

. . .

the post hoc couch report

2008-08-17T20:06:00.008-05:00

So, Alaska was sweet,

I saw a moose,

I supported insulation with my head under a house on stilts (sadly no picture), I learned about the importance of getting water away from the house and how to make a trashcan into a rain receptacle

and the miracle of abandoned cabins that can somehow support life (due to the raspberries growing on top)

and cooking in shoprooms.

I also learned a ton about aurora borealis. They are made by SOLAR WIND (electrons spewed by the sun at us) hitting our ATMOSPHERE (electrons colliding with neon and oxygen gases make green and red lights) and traveling in our MAGNETIC FIELD (hence the waves). An electron can bounce back and forth from one pole to the other and back in 2 SECONDS. Sadly, I didn't get to see an aurora, but I spose that's yet another reason to go back--I plan on March '10 --anybody with me? I'll have some more pictures up from AK shortly.

Despite the fact that I have not felt the call to knit since tank tops became weather-appropriate clothing, Alaska inspired me to knit a whole scarf, which you see here before you. And although I pshawed the idear of an 8-foot scarf, including tassels (a first!), this here baby's accidentally longer than 8 feet. Which is longer than the panels of insulation I supported with my head.

In other news, the Em-Ms had a baby too (I'm so proud!):

And man! still more to report: Yesterday was my first Ice Cream and Charity Goat Social, in which various Omahans, one Lincolnitrix and one Minneapolitrix consumed my free, hard-won-essay-contest ice cream and raised enough money for possibly three goats! There are pictures from that too, but not at the moment. Much gratitude especially to SWT, without whom throwing a party would be a ton more work and less fun, and upon whose initiative the Charity Goat half of the Social was born. And of course MRG: she wins my Most Dedicated Socialite, Having Traveled the Farthest. Good work, everyone. Truly above and beyond.

Finally, Lulu and I have some new roomies. SH and her golden dude, Bernadette, are moving in tomorrow. I think it will be the best 6 weeks of Lulu's life (if not mine too).

. . .

furthests

2008-08-10T11:42:00.003-05:00

This is, according to my half-assed internet research, the furthest north, beating Savonlinna, Finland, by 3 degrees latitude, and the furthest west, beating Seattle by 100 degrees longitude, I have ever been.

. . .

dispatch from the northern 1

2008-08-10T11:23:00.002-05:00

14 hours of travel, and! I am here in Alaska, and, true to summer form, it is chilly and the sun don't set (more or less). Frankly, I don't quite understand how they do it here in the winter--it's August, and last night I slept under one sheet, one down blanket, one quilt, and two wool blankets (and was wearing two shirts, a hoodie, and a down vest). But it might be worth a trip to find out--B tells me the 30-below, outdoor parties are somehow wonderful. Anyway, the trees here are pointy, the squirrels small, the water conserved, and the dogs snuggly. B/c of permafrost, underground water pipes, tanks, and septic tanks are not possible, at least out here in the woods. So, J&B have enormous water tanks inside their house (in the room that is currently serving as kitchen, living room and dining room, pending some remodeling). They pay by the gallon to get the tanks filled, so there is not a huge amount of flushing going on. Water pressure is provided by a balloon inside their (also in-house) water pump. Alaska is curiously reminiscent of West Africa in that it is not the buildings (at least, beauty-wise--mechanics-wise they are fascinating) but the people and the environment that attract. The DIY culture is palpable. J&B are electrifying, insulating, and dry-walling approximately one-third of their house all by themselves. Also, the squirrels do shrooms--I haven't seen that yet, but I'm told it's pretty easy to tell the difference between a tripping squirrel and a nontripping squirrel.

. . .

NE makes the NYT

2008-08-04T09:28:00.003-05:00

Link. Ainsworth, mentioned in the article, is about 5 hours northwest of Omaha, and 3 hours northeast of North Platte. It's also two towns over from the infamous Bassett, the present home of Dr. J.C. Frankly, the article is as cheesy in places as the Lincoln Journal Star is constantly. But the coolness of wind turbines, now producing 1% of the energy used in Nebraska, apparently, can't be denied.
. . .

to-day

2008-06-14T10:09:00.003-05:00

Today is Flag Day. It is also Lulu's first birthday! So far she has celebrated with some forced (by me) sleeping in and otherwise completely normal breakfast routine. But yesterday she got to go for a long walk AND meet a bunch of people at both my house and L&EMM's house AND run around off-leash AND eat sticks. So, perhaps the real celebration was the last day of her first year.

Anyhoo, here are some photos from this morning of my long, skinny, lanky Lulu.

. . .

2008-06-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

I took this photo for Een Per Dag, but something else bumped it off that day (RLY, a real woman). Anyway, this is a stairstep in my parking garage. Can you see the woman's face in it? It's almost a profile. There's a brow, a forehead, an eye, hair, and a nose and mouth, sort of. This picture is a little blurry. But I see her every day, four times a day, if I look. I wonder what her name is.

. . .

HAIR HAT

2008-06-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

Must be seen to be believed.

and yesterday!

2008-06-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

I ran this!

. . .

you tell me.

2008-05-29T19:44:00.002-05:00

How's a person supposed to live in a city without an afghani or an ethiopian restaurant, hm? how?
. . .

on buying stuff

2008-05-28T21:58:00.007-05:00

There is something about moving that seems to result in the acquisition of more stuff. I get rid of stuff, then I move, then I buy more stuff right after the move. It doesn't even necessarily have anything to do with the new house. It did in New York, since that was the first place I lived after I sold all my housing accoutrements and went bopping about the planet, but not really in North Platte, or here. I guess I have reached the limit of house-necessities for a place this size (except for maybe a couple of sawhorses and a door for an adjustable work table, which maybe I can get on freecycle or craigslist. oh and a frame for my diploma). In North Platte, I was externally limited by the fact that all the stores there suck. However, that didn't seem to stop me from buying plenty o' Wal-Parts crap or lots and lots of garage sale shopping.

This time around, I have been trying to limit this phenomenon, to pretty much no avail. All the stores in Omaha do not suck. With the exception of two slip-ups, however, I am keeping a good lid on buying stuff I don't need (or so I reassure myself) (except for cloth).

Weirdly and wonderfully, the most expensive thing I have been wanting for the longest time (other than a car and a house), a digital SLR, just fell in to my lap in the form of a long-term borrow--so I feel good about the temporary freeness of that. This also frees up my mental purchasing power for a sewing machine (not yet, but soon, soon, my precious) and a (I am so excited about this) digital-radio-ipod-alarm-clock. I can wake to the dulcet tones of NPR and put away clothes (a task that seems to haunt me) and sew on my future machine to the dulcet tones of whatever I want. I hope once I get the sewing machine there won't be anything else that pops up as a critical purchase.

If anybody has any sewing machine recommendations, or pos/neg opinions regarding particular features of her own machine, I'd be glad to hear them. I have an antique sewing machine now, which works ok but is very heavy and not particularly versatile. It is fine if all I want to do is sew straight seams. If I want to learn to do any fancy quilting or sew zig zag lines, as all the patterns seem to call for these days, it is not fine. I think I am going to put off the SM purchase for a while, but I'm going to work out which one it'll be in the meantime.

. . .

I ran this

2008-05-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

. . .

Lulu chasing her tail

2008-05-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

. . .

o! ma! ha!

2008-05-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

Well, folks, I like it here in Omaha. It is a nice combination of midwesterly chilled-outness and big-city options. One thing I liked about Lincoln that just didn't happen in New York was that it was easy to see people and we can and do at the last minute. Omaha shares that quality. Like New York (and unlike North Platte), Omaha has some really good restaurants and cultural events (although it obviously can't match NYC in depth or breadth). And while my Lincoln social scene has been pretty stagnant for the last ten years, and NP had no social scene to offer at all, young, interesting folks in Omaha are new to me, plentiful, relaxed, and easy to meet. In NYC, the friend options were actually too plentiful--it required a ridiculous amount of extra effort to see people again that I liked but had met only once, plus most people there already feel like they have so many people to see that they don't have time to make new friends. Things were a little different at the beginning of law school, but it quickly fell into that pattern. In Omaha, especially if people are from Omaha, they seem to appreciate new faces. I like it.

And yeah, work's fine, good people, challenging, what-have-you. My place is nice. I need a roommate though. And Lulu and I have been going to obedience class. Obedience is still elusive, but it's worth 6 thursdays to try to catch it.

I'll try to post a little more often here. I've been really excited about the per-dag blogs recently, but I do have a bunch of photos that didn't make the EPD cut that still merit a look (I think, anyway).
. . .

new blog

2008-04-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

http://haikuperdag.blogspot.com

...

2008-04-08T20:29:00.004-05:00

April 4, 2008 held much for my camera. I think the sun, warmth, easy trip to Lincoln, and the blooming weekend all combined into a happy, photorific day.

Oh for an apostrophe. This place marks my turning spot on Dodge.

I love old mail shafts. The one in my new office building's got this handy reminder on it. I infer from Mr. Zip's pigmentation that it's patriotic to be red. Alcoholics and Native Americans rejoice!

Some views from my parking garage:

buildings:

buildings, including handy dandy Douglas County state courthouse:

buildings, including handy dandy federal courthouse (boring building at lower left):

Male pattern building:

Various street circles:

Leaving the garage, this is the view on my back porch, all ready for three little kittens. It's hard to imagine who else might sit there so primly, all in a row:

A sign that could serve many purposes:

A sign with maybe fewer purposes:

More signs, I guess. These, pizza related:

The Future Farmers of America were in Lincoln last weekend, I surmise. I find this amusing but I can't really say why:

Some stripey jeans, passing by:

And a flock of funnily lit bar photos.

How to make a button and other useful facts

2008-03-26T08:36:00.003-05:00

Here's how to make a button. Watch it, it's funny.

Other Useful Facts:

Tierney is the dog-park kid.

This bucket has a hole in it.

I am approaching the end or the packing, only to look down the barrel of unpacking.

. . .

the last week begins

2008-03-25T10:02:00.005-05:00

This time, for HDL, notes on top.

I actually washed the ice trays before I packed them. (I suppose this may still be news to someone out there--I am moving to Omaha on Sunday [same job, different office]).

Adjectives that seem to suggest more than pizza:

Breakfast at Penny's. Tasty, and friendly, but not so easy on the estomago. They throw sugar packets at you when you read at the bar (minimum of two people at the booths).

A North Platte (the river) walk,

accompanied by my dog friend.

At what they call "the rides" at Cody Park.

NP's version of Japan's naval flag.

There should be more of these in parks:

Cody's a pretty good park: a river, "the rides," elk, geese, various playgrounds, frisbee-golf, camping, and outdoor fireplaces. Plus, or so I've heard, gay men are free to gather there at night! Poor things, they have to go somewhere. NP does not strike me as a particularly gay-friendly place. I like its parks though.

. . .

spray painting is more exhausting than you might think

2008-03-23T10:15:00.001-05:00

. . .

work and home

2008-03-21T08:42:00.005-05:00

The back end.

Tool of the trade (can be exempted from seizure under BK law).

A client's child's depiction of her happy family (little does she know).

The neighbor boys tagged my garage with "weney." It's not just my garage though.

The front end.

. . .

why not YOU?

2008-03-19T10:21:00.002-05:00

more people should do this with their cheese wax.

. . .

trails

2008-03-19T09:34:00.003-05:00

on the way home from the vet (Lulu's feeling better).

. . .

leftovers

2008-03-18T15:29:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it is hard to decide which eenperdag to use. So sometimes, like today, I will post the outtakes here.

Our 8 inches of snow.

At the dog park.

. . .

green is keen

2008-03-17T13:36:00.002-05:00

"Green is Keen" is what my old Kermit THE Frog pin said, and which, if I knew where it was, I'd be wearing today. Top of the morning to all you.

Here, enjoy this (courtesy of JAMcS the younger):

. . .

overheard in north platte

2008-03-15T12:10:00.002-05:00

"We generally have soy unless we run out."

. . .

R.I.P.

2008-03-15T08:48:00.004-05:00

My little red honda (1991-2008), only 17 years old, met her match in a sideswipe and an insurance assessment last week. Surviving drivers include: RPD, HDL, a crazy, catalytic-converter-detaching ex-priest, and myself. Memorials may be sent in lieu of flowers to Barack Obama's campaign. The picture above was taken in her last days, on one of her many trips following the Platte river from North Platte to Lincoln, Nebraska. She wasn't a girl who made life easy for anyone, yet everyone who knew her was glad s/he did. Let it be said that my little red honda drove like a race car, sounded like one, and, in the end, died like one. She did nothing without panache. Goodbye, girlfriend. I'll miss you.

. . .

test drive

2008-03-04T13:46:00.003-06:00

Taking a bite out of JR's bagel, I took a Honda Fit out for a test drive yesterday. It was all right. It (like every other car I've ever driven, actually) can't compare to my current Honda for good-time driving, and the thing is so small that every bit of it is pretty much all in your face. Also, the car lot man insisted on going with me, and he was 6'3" (he told me), had a pretty severe limp, and looked rather uncomfortable squished into the car, which wasn't probably the best advertising. But that said, it's got ok pick-up, it'd fit me and my dog, and it'd be easy to put in small spaces. Plus maybe I could get one in this color:

I almost got out of the dealership w/o the hard-sell--but then 6'3" man's boss came over to do what needed to be done. We agreed to disagree and I'm still driving my trusty '91 civic. Maybe next time, manager man, maybe next time.

. . .

shit, drie per dag

2008-02-27T17:02:00.007-06:00

I like Mr. Obama as much as the next young liberal lassie out there, but why his staff has not gotten Bob the Builder to endorse him, I cannot understand.

WWBTBS?
. . .

[p.s. If you google Bob the Builder and Barack Obama, you will quickly discover that I am not the first to notice the similarity.]

sweet

2008-02-27T16:21:00.002-06:00

I figured out how to stick it in. Over there, on the right. see?

. . .