Friday, October 30, 2009

Which fingers???



Ok so I was getting creative and was having fun making witch fingers, now the recipe said, you can use any precookie base to do these awesome looking witch fingers. So I stop at Puke and Save and pick up some sugar cookie dough and off I go. I am sitting down to some finger fun. I make two dozen ugly fingers and am enjoying this to the endth. I have a Halloween Party after hours in the Village tomorrow and besides bringing Pabst Smear (beer dip), I thought oh these cookies are awesome....here they are and I put them in the oven and here they are after!!!! This sucks....I am so upset...I should have used the recipe that was suggested, I wonder if you could eat these raw???? This my friends is why I don't cook/bake get near the oven. Happy Halloween!!!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Eatting Breakfast


I love to go out for breakfast, I really like to go out for all meals but we won't get into that. The best breakfast is at those Albanian/Greek, 20 # of food for a couple bucks, unless of course it is a weekend and you can get the "Hot Mess" at Cafe Hollander... well because I eat alone alot, I am always interested in how they seat me...this morning was the real slap...I walk in and the hostess, that barely can speak English other than "Es everting OK? " pipes in with "Are yu al elone?" uh no the whole damn Circus parade is behind me toots.....what is that? Are you all alone? No I'll be dining with my alter egos and my pscyopath Imaginary friends and I'd like a table for 6 please. Another one is JUST one? I think I deserve more than a JUST!!! Last time I remember going into a restraunt and waiting to be seated with a group saying ....table for four, or two or something, I didn't just stand there alone thinking that? I walked in and mentions that I was with more people, so when I say one/no smoking, that should be enough. Or at least give someone that is alone, a smile and "Booth or Table for one? that would be nice, not JUSt or ALONE....next time you go for a meal by yourself and I am sure it is happening more and more, listen to how they address you, maybe it's just me that hears that...or maybe it's the loud speaker with feedback saying "WE HAVE A DORK THAT HAS NO FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND EATS ALONE ENTERING THE DINING AREA" Guess what it won't stop me.....not in this lifetime.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Face Book


The photo is a skein of Art yarn that I have made into a moebius ring, it is a special order and it looks stunning if I must say so myself.
On Facebook there is a post that states "Shit my dad says" it is a 28 year old guy that lives with his parents? he just posts stuff that his dad says, it is hysterical, pretty raw but you can see an old man saying some of this stuff. I have actually considered this with my mom. Daughters and mothers relationships can be so strained. I think it may be worse for the older generations like me and my mother. Our mothers never talked to us, they were not open about personal girl things, it was very secret. It was also laced with myths and old wives tales. I think mothers are more open now and willing to talk to their teens, keeping the door open for more conversation. My mom and I have a bittersweet relationship, it goes good and then she makes some nasty comment, but she has actually gotten better. I think she has forgotten or forgets to be nasty to me. It could be that I am learning her techniques...I don't let her, get to me. She was not a coddeling mother, the come here honey after you fell, it was more get up and go play?? What? I just put my teeth through my lip..?? Just pull them off and it will heal before you get married!!! Yeah not the loving touch. It is hard to be sympathetic with her now...I didn't have a good teacher. The thing with my mom is she is a fox, she is very much like her mother, I have seen her acting at the Dr office and she is academy award winning. So I don't know when she is genuine or not. She is losing the use of her legs, I can not imagine a woman that worked out at a gym for 20 years, until about 4 years ago, what a blast to your ego this must be. We have not neglected her and have had her for every test there is but they have no explanation. She falls all the time, my worry is, she is going to hit her head and cause a stroke, the Dr says make her wear a helmut....seriously. We as in my brother, sister in law and I are at a crossroad. What do we do now, her mind is still good, she is of course slipping and repeats herself, just like the rest of us and OMG spend one hour where she lives and they ALL tell the same thing within 10 minutes!!!! It would make anybody crazy. She is losing all of her old friends, the ones she knew and called and had coffee with, this too must be hard. It has to be a two edged sword, either you die first or watch everyone else die? So we went to dinner last night, she loves Iggy so he come in the car and sits quietly on her lap and she knows right where to pet him. She doesn't eat much at home so a good meal is a treat for her, she never was a good cook, now she can't stand long enough to cook. I guess we just go day by day, my mom never found too much joy in things, so I don't know what I expect from her now or why? I try to get her to do knitting or something but she doesn't want to, she likes to read and sit in her chair. I guess it is safe for her. We all like to be safe.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Rumors


Rumors even with the best intention can be very damaging. Rumors start when someone thinks they have translated a comment made and then turns it into something else. Every business in this area is hurting, you can hear it on the news. Big business's are hurting and they are laying off people, cutting every corner they can. If big business is hurting so are the small ones, we are all struggling to survive. I believe the East and West coast got hit by the recession first and now we in the Midwest are feeling the effects, this is just my theory. I have been told by a realtor, that we have not hit the second wave of foreclosures, the first wave was people that had loans that should not have gotten them, bad money, but now it will be people that have lost their jobs. That is a pretty dim outlook. When I first set out to start this business, it was supposed to be a working studio. I was going to have my looms on the floor and finished items for sale and if I was open you could come in and watch me work/play. Then I thought if I am open, why not open and sell stuff? So my original plan was to have a weaving, spinning studio. I have veered from my original plan and have enjoyed every minute of it, for the most part. Yes I have complained of the people coming in with bags of dead gramas yarn asking me to wind it or weigh it and tell them what they can make with it. The people that are proud that they got a good deal online but think they are flattering me when they need help with a project??? I have never worked with the public before, I spent time under a welding hood or pretty much working alone, so this is all new to me. I have tried to be pleasant in adversity, I have tried to have a positive attitude through it all. The fact that business is slow is causing me to make a different business decision, the big business's do it, and I am in business to make money, we all are. It is not a personal decision, or intended to hurt anyone, it is a matter of something needs to change so I don't lose money. I made a comment that "IF" business does not pick up by January, that is two months away and according to my books this should be a great month, IF it doesn't pick up I am taking the table out of the back and bringing my loom up into the shop. I AM NOT CLOSING? I am bringing a loom up into the shop, hear that, just bringing my loom into the shop???? Somehow that got translated into I am closing. I am taking the table out of the back, it is not productive, my loom is. I am working on how to handle open knitting, but we don't need a table for that, do we??? If rumors like that persist I may end up closing, that kind of statement can be very damaging and I don't HAVE to do this, I am retired and when things aren't fun anymore I may pull in the shingle. I am closed two days now and that was a personal decision, I need two days off to enjoy life away from the shop. I am staying closed for the two days, to keep enjoying my life. I am feeling my creativity coming back, my ability to create the art that I love so much is starting to make a come back and I am going to take advantage of it. So for those of you either worried or caddy, "I AM NOT CLOSING" well at 4:00 I am that is a given. By the way for those of you that are supporter of the shop, thank you, these are tough times and we will get through this, I know who you are and I appreciate it. I hope I have set things straight.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Done


I am thinking that the bank has taken care of my account that was hacked into. The bogus withdrawels have been taken off and all of my checks cleared without incident. So now, I have to get a new Debit card and find out where all of my numbers are voided out, like QVC, Paypal and so much more....you don't realize where they all are. Meanwhile some idiot hacker is enjoying the fruits of his spoil. Or maybe not, but I am sure they are not catching these creeps at the rate they are abusing victims. I am working on doing a weaving, well actually two are on the mind, first for the big loom is a color gamp, which is a color spectrum of woven squares, I am so in love of color spectrums and then a tapestry weaving with my Art yarn....so now I am bouncing off different aspects of both....I need to draw a cartoon for the tapestry weaving and that is on my agenda for today!!!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fraud

Well I check my bank statement on line frequently, and all I can say is it's a good thing. This morning I woke up to $20.00 worth of charges to Expedia and Skype??? hhhhmmm so I call the 800 number on the transaction and I get of course some woman that I can hardly understand, that keeps me on hold and keeps yelling something like hoedon....she repeats this about 4 times and I finally ask her what she is saying...hod on ms massie....oh Hold on???? She can't find my account, of course she can't I never remember what email I use either. So while I am speaking to her my cell rings and they leave a message, I am being scammed. I call them and do all the numbers they tell me and then they mention "We have a $3,879.00 charge on your account from the UK, is this a transaction made by you????? I am rolling on the floor laughing, that would be a no???? But maam, if they can get that out of my account, can I??? So now I am in the process of voiding those purchases, which the idiots must have bought a ticket to somewhere? So I finally get a representative and she tells me that the computer is in the process of updating it's information as we speak and could I calll back in a half hour...."they should get a better computer system" So now I am waiting to clear my account. Well never mind they already did for that matter. Can things ever just go along honestly?? Could those people spend more time getting a real job vs. scamming people, is it really worth it to worry all the time that you will get caught??? I guess I want a simpler life than that.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Aftermath

Truth be told, the painting is done but the work is not.....When you change one thing, it changes everything. I am slowing putting things back together, and cleaning as I go. Tomorrow is going to be cleaning day, no running around just cleaning. The floor needs scrubbing and vacumming and the dusting is done. I have wash to do for some reason, the last basket of wash didn't make it upstairs to be put away. I am slacking, I think part of it is the lack of the ability to crinkle my nose and everything is done and looks beautiful, Changing things takes money and time....I do have the time, it is limited, but the major job is done. Now the accents takes money. I never thought of myself as being high maintenance but it seems everytime I click on something I like it is wayyyyy too much money. So when I take a load of stuff to Goodwill, I think I will do some shopping too.
I am so in the mood to spin, spinning is such a soothing process, and tomorrow night is my designated night to spin. I have some new fiber that needs to be yarn. My work should all be done and then let the games begin. After all , all work and no play makes Janny quit!!!!

Friday, October 09, 2009

Just in time for Halloween


If you get nauseated by gross stuff stop reading. If you need a good laugh, ignore the previous comment. Yesterday I had to go pick up my glasses from the Optician, I was in a hurry and flew out of the house. As we all know this is the time of year for runny noses and dry noses and let's face it buggers. So I grab Iggy and head north to the eyeglass place. I have the heat blowing on high in the car and get to the eye guy. I am excited and thrilled I made it on time and run into the store sit down at their little table to be fitted. I have a grin from ear to ear and then I breath.....oh no, I have a loose bugger, a dry one flickering in and out, or as my son says a "Bat in the Cave" . I have no idea how close it is to the entrance of the cave, but I started to hold my breath, you can be sure I wiped that ear to ear grin off of my face and a little face of horror, was more appropriate. Do I dare breath through my mouth I may have coffee breath....All the while he is putting glasses on my face, tweeking and I am turning blue, because being that he was so close to me, I couldn't breath. After what seemed like a year sitting there, I left and got in the car breathing extremely hard, I had to examine the bat!!!! Nothing there, not a visual in sight, all that for nothing???? This guy must think I have a nervous tick or something??? I know it is natural but that doesn't make it comfortable??? It must be the time of year, so Happy Halloween!!!!!

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Snow


I know many or two of you readers are sighing...snow. It is inevitable in Wisconsin, and it is coming. I love snow, it makes me physically and mentally feel good. I feel clean and like my soul is washed. I love walking in the snow and putting my face up and letting the snow lite on my face and tongue. I remember licking icicles and my mom saying that I shouldn't do that it is full of contaminates in the air...that was how long ago can you just imagine how nasty it would be now...but I still can't resist licking an icicle now and then. The forcast is saying flurries and I am a bit excited, there is something special about the first snow flakes tumbling to earth. I am not ready for a snowfall but it is a show of things to come. I ordered new boots and they are back ordered till November....I think I am safe till then, but I could be wrong. I wish I could make snow angels, problem is I could make them but I would need a crane to lift me out of the snow once I was done. The agility is not there to do the manuevers required to leave the silloutte without a scar. Last time I made a snow angel was at Miller, I was working second shift and my partner was called Monster, he was a big guy, we had a call in an out building and it was snowing to beat the band, I was thrilled and found some untouched snow to fall back into, with his help got pulled out because we were both laughing so hard. I forgot to mention I wore these huge coveralls and it left a wrinkly butt print in the angel....we kept going back and looking at that stupid butt print which was frozen in ice!!! Silly things that make us feel good....make us smile and laugh....that is what make us go on....so keep look for the little things.
As I am cleaning after the paint bath....I have one of those refridgerators that has the pebble finish, so it won't leave fingerprints, and that part works, put how do you clean it?? I had to use a toothbrush to clean the top little pebble finish, but there are no fingerprints!!!

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Painting is done


The painting is done, it is beautiful...do you hear a but coming? Well the but is I am going to do some serious throwing out. There are things we hang on to because they are from a loved one that is no longer around. I have birds that my dad carved for me. I have a decrative tile from my deceased boyfriend, the love of my life. I cherish these things but need to find a way to make it all work. I refuse to put stuff away, if I put it away it may as well be buried and gone. I will never take it out again. I am one of those people that likes to put stuff I love right where I can see it and enjoy looking at it. I am more cautious with purchases of late, I ask myself if I really want it or is it something I can live without, or will it end up in GoodWill in a year??? I think this train of thinking has something to do with getting older. I think we realize just how much crap we have accumulated and what we will be leaving behind for some family member to sift through. For me it is my son, for some reason I just can't see him dragging home boxes of desired items from my house...it's actually kind of funny to even entertain the thought. When he was young we would go antique shopping, I love old stuff, he was very patient and helped me lug stuff in and out of the house. Nothing I had was of any real value, but one time I went to a Logenberger basket party and felt guilted into buying an extremely overpriced little basket that could only hold my car keys, by the time I got the liner and plastic insert and the bill, it was the most valuable thing in my home. I made a point of telling my son, if I die, this is an expensive basket don't let it go for pennies....seriously this was your college tuition. I think I am lessoning my load, slow but sure, those appliances that you just had to have, that have been in the back of the cupboaud since I move in....they are going!!! I have a stupid punch bowl, when was the last time you used a punch bowl and it's cutglass, some cheapo one not from a crystal party, remember them, or copper parties? Yep it's time to clean, then I look around and say, well I love this and I really like this and screw it, I'm keeping this stuff. When I die, I won't have to worry about it will I ??? I know I won't be taking it with me....so to my son..I am sorry for leaving you with too much crap, way too much yarn, too many looms. I love my stuff!!!

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Swine flu or Paint fumes

Ok, I am feeling like crap, I have a sore throat, I never get sore throats. I am stuffed up and my eyes hurt....this could just be a cold. I have a headache, this is not common but happens, I am tired, this could be the crappy weather??? So do I infect everyone else or is it the fact that all the air in my house reeks of latex paint and I am suffering from that? As soon as the painter leaves I am contemplating closing and going to bed!!! Then again it may be more toxic up there???? He is almost done and then I will have everything open and dive under the covers of a nice warm bed....I think it is just fumes??? Oh and then there is the throat tickle???? cough cough!!! Maybe it is just a seasonal cold.....lots of maybes here!!! LOL

Big Game is Over

Well it's finally been confronted and now it's over. Brett played the Packers and won. I really wanted GB to win but Rodgers had no protection. When you think about it Rodgers is a rookie compared to Favre and while Favre was playing for the Packers, never got play time. I think he did good and would have done better had he the protection needed. It was a good game and I never said Brett wasn't a great quarterback, it just comes with too much whining and drama. The Vikqueens will get theirs, Brett used them to break a record for himself, he is doing what he needs to win....good for him. I just wish we would have beat them.
I am going to die from paint fumes, it stinks here so bad. The painter is coming back today to finish the death wall. Not sure what I am going to do with the windows, I don't like curtains, I have blinds, and they will do till I figure out what I want. I may not put anything up, there are no rules.
There will be alot of sad faces out there today :(

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Nature Girl


Don't you love when you find a product you really love and it really works for you and they take it off the market, or change the formula?? It happens so often that it forces people to buy endless amounts and to look like a hoarder just to avoid the inevitable recall or discontinued thing. So my problem is deoderant, I have used secret solid stick for as many years as I can remember. When I was a kid we had to use what was there and Right Guard was what dad used and so we ALL used it. My dad had problems with deoderant too, he would get what feels like a golf ball lump in your armpit....of course he passed that gene off to me...thanks Dad!!!! Anyways I at the store looking for my deoderant, plain old Secret, no PH balanced although I tried it and it didn't work, I got lumps...just the white stick that leaves stripes on your clothes, I love it...I found one, this is a bad sign. So now I go to Walgreens they have zero...panic is setting in. Ok, I have an idea I will go to Outpost and get a stone, I used to use the stone ...all natural, I don't know other than conveniance why I quit? But instead, I found some rosemary mint spray natural deoderant...off I go pleased as plum. So I take my bath and spray on this new natural deoderant, and do the chicken dance, my arms were flapping like someone threw ice water on them.....whew whew whew......it seemed like forever I was flapping around. It smelled real good like a rosemary plant was shoved under my arm. Day 1-hhhmmm it seems to be working Ok...Day 2-a fresh new coat of spray and not quite as much flapping, again it seemed to be Ok, I go to sleep and wake up with a funk under my arms that is enough to make me puke....what the hell??? So I wash my pits with soap and water and the funk is embedded into my armpits....I use a brillo pad and can't rid the smell in my nose, it was like skunk. All my life I have never had a funk this bad, never??? Did the deoderant let loose with some stink in the night??? I had to wash my bedding my nightie, it was there..it was staying. Once I get a smell like that I can't get rid of it..so I learned my lesson...back to my Secret, if only for a little while....sigh

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Buying Underpants


Somewhere along the line...me arse has gone from size 7 underwear to whatever I buy....I stand there in the aisle, looking for a good pair that has no visible elastic on it. I am latex intolerant...I know for a fact that I used to buy size 7, Ok that was about 4 jean sizes ago, so that must mean that I wear size 12, there is no size 11??? This is my theory. Then there is the underwear that has no label on it, now which is it, Fruit of the Loom or Hanes????? So I know I am wearing them, I reach bag and give myself a wedgie trying to read the non label....seriously, I would have to pull my panties around to my hips and up to my boobs to be able to read that non-label...a woman walks by....she may be a tad sympathetic to my drama....Do I dare, in this society ask a complete stranger to read the label on my underpants, that by now or in my crack like floss and hanging above my waistband on my jeans like drapery???? She may call the store security of some woman pervert ...and what the hell is the deal with Thongs???? I should walk around like I was panties all puffed up around my waistband and name it thong drapery.....I may be on to something.....Thong drapery and we can sell it to young boys and girls, tight jeans and yards of panties hanging drapy like around the top. Why are underwear not the same size as pants??? Is there some difference from panties to jeans, is there an invisible space between the two??? That doubles the number??? as a matter of fact it is double, size 7 undies size 14 jeans, holy crap I just figured out the formula...because God knows we don't feel bad enough about ourselves lets up the numbers, no double the numbers of our most private clothing. I'm really proud of myself I just had this revelation. So before I had this revelation, I just grabbed some granny panties and went home, threw them in the wash, put them on and oh yeah, I can pull them up to my armpits and wear them as a union suit.

Parakeet Green

I really love the green I painted in the kitchen area....I am sure the painter is really going to appreciate the green on the ceiling also. The sucker that I am I bought this "kit" that can paint where you point...it does trim, corners and washes itself after it's done....not really but it does paint Ok but....it does not do corners, it basically gives you false hope. It also can leave little schpubas on the ceiling. Which I will graciously leave for the pro painter that is supposed to come on Monday. I have avoided ruining any clothing at this point. Painting for me goes like this, I survey the situation...I take off the outlet/switch paints on one wall, I remove all the stuff in the way on one wall. I paint one wall, or area, I replace everything on one wall and move on. I have done this dance since I can remember. I do not prep the whole room, first of all where the heck do you put everything???? I never had room and I am phobic about bare walls. I may not get something back where it was before...Ok I am a freak. But it works for me. So yesterday I did nothing but rewrite a FREE pattern from a yarn company. It was written for European knitters and not easy to translate so I did that for a stupid pair of slippers. I am going to attempt to do the Fall decorating today for the shop....I love Fall. I love this weather and I know alot of people hate to see Winter coming but it is OK too. I don't like the freezing cold but snow is fine, it is very pretty. I look at it in a Native American way, Winter is the time when things go to sleep, only to come awake again in Spring....and who doesn't love to sleep in Winter....well I am done watching my paint dry it's time for another coat, or not.