Ridonculous

It's been one of those weeks. You know, the kind where you shake your head, and maybe even want to cry, but decide you'd better just laugh at the situation (and/or yourself) and move on. Admittedly, there were a few tears.

It all kind of started with the Great Fruit Fly Invasion of 2008. In my house. So disgusting. We'd noticed a few of the little buggers buzzing around and then suddenly, the kitchen was swarmed. They were hanging out everywhere! I tried making a funnel trap, but must have left too much of a gap because it didn't work so well. What has been working is leaving bowls around with a concoction of vinegar, apple juice, water, and dish soap. I'd read to use cider vinegar, but only had white, so added a tiny bit of juice. It's amazing how many of the critters have drowned. Oh, and the cause of this infestation? My failure to empty the compost bin we keep under our sink.

Note to self:
Don't forget to empty the kitchen compost bin into the outdoor one!

I did shed some tears on Friday. Little Guy had an appointment with the vet to check out his back legs. Recently, his arthritis progressed to the point where, after lying around for a few hours, he occasionally had trouble standing up on his own. A brief walk and some range of motion and stretching exercises seem to loosen him up, but only temporarily.

Recent mobile phone photos of Little Guy, aka Hobo Dog, lying around on some newspapers and dirty socks and underwear.

Two hours later, thorough vet exam, blood work, x-rays, and several hundreds of dollars, Little Guy was diagnosed with a possible torn knee ligament. The arthritis in his hips didn't look too bad on the x-rays and ligaments don't show up. So, he's being referred to a specialist to look at the knee, which very well may be a surgical situation. He also got some pain meds for the meantime. I didn't mind the length of the visit. Seeing as it was Black Friday, it beat braving the stores. It was kind of emotional though as one woman brought in her dog who had passed away at home (but unfortunately missed the jolly guy from the pet crematorium, who told some really frightening tales of attempting to shop at the local Fry's Electronics earlier). Another woman discussed euthanasia options with the front desk staff for quite some time. It was killing me.

We finally got out of the vet's office, made one quick stop, and headed home. I lifted Guy out of the car and set him down on the ground. He was holding his rear right leg up very high, with the paw up near his back. When his hips (or now I wonder, his knee?) have bothered him before, he's not wanted to bear weight. This was different and the wrong leg! His bad knee is on the left. I noticed he was trying to nip at his paw. Taking a quick look, I saw a bee stuck right on one of the pads. I knocked it off and sure enough, the stinger was embedded in his paw. I pulled out the stinger, grabbed my cell phone and called the vet. They suggested I come back right away. I have no knowledge of Little Guy ever getting stung, so didn't know how he'd react. I piled him and my bags back into the car and raced off.

This time, there wasn't much of a wait. Our vet had gone home, but we saw one of her partners. She checked out the paw and then gave him Benadryl and pain medicine injections. He was in so much pain that he would not put his foot down, thus putting all of it on his "bad" knee. Several hours later, he was feeling much better and had no signs of an allergic reaction.

So, the flies are nearly gone and Little Guy is bearing weight on all legs.

Coming soon: My musings on Bolt, which I LOVED!!!

Yet Another Disney Thanksgiving!

I intended to do some sort of "I'm thankful for..." or holiday-related post. It's been a trying, exhausting day so far though and I'm just not feeling it. After two trips to the vet (Little Guy got stung by a bee on the way home from our first, 2-hour visit), it's been a long & expensive day.

So, here are a few photos from our day at Disneyland & California Adventure yesterday. It was a fantastic, not-very-crowded day. For that, I am thankful.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

One Neighbor's Trash...

Yep, there's a couch on my front porch*. A full-size, three cushion sofa. It's blocking the mailbox and almost the front door. I had to squeeze past it (and get a dog by too!) this morning. I did consider crawling over it, but I haven't cleaned it yet. Previously, I've mentioned a childhood history of redneck porch happenings that have left their scars mark. I really didn't think I'd carry on such white trash traditions as an adult.

There is actually a perfectly good explanation for this violation of good taste and decency. I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to discuss it here at this point, but I'll be shedding some light on it soon. I'm sure it was quite a sight to see me**, my white-haired elderly neighbor, and her very thin exchange student lug this beast from her house to mine. Well, I know it looked strange as another neighbor rushed over to help us when he saw the struggle.

*My "porch" is more like an area. It is not raised and therefore can not kill dogs if it collapses. So no worries there.

**I actually am pretty strong. In fact, an 8-year old boy that I was lifting on Saturday commented to his father, "Hey! Another strong girl!"

I Sewed, I Glued, I Crocheted

And sewed and glued and crocheted. Due to my insane procrastination, I was doing most a lot of it in the last few days leading up to Felt Club. Yeah, I just never learn. In spite of the lack of sleep and crossed eyes from non-stop crafting, the show was fun and successful!

This was the first time the Tired Girl Collective was accepted to Felt Club. It started as something much smaller in the parking lot behind Meltdown Comics, but has grown substantially and has opened up to more vendors. We were very happy to take part in their biggest one yet. While we are still somewhat novices and hobbyists on the craft fair circuit, we did pretty well. Not bad at all if you consider we are relatively unknown, have fairly low prices on most of our items, and one-third of our group (ahem...) sells merchandise that caters to a very niche market. I guess everyone does not love hamsters, but I'm definitely not the only one!

Pom-pom hamsters, amigurumi hamsters, poetry books


Handmade tote bags made from fabrics from Japan

A special thanks to those who sent good wishes or stopped by to say hi and even buy things! A couple of my friends had evacuated their homes, or were on call to do so, due to the raging fires in Southern California that weekend and couldn't make it. Others were unable to stand in the line to enter because of the smokey air. In spite of that, we did have several visitors. Having friends as fellow vendors was icing on the cupcake.

What's next for us? We'll be in Cerritos on December 6th for Tall Mouse's Handmade Brigade Holiday event. I am behind schedule, of course, in preparing for it. As you may have learned, that's how I roll. There might also be some increased shameless self-promotion on my part in the very near future as I attempt to sell some of my wares outside of shows. I have trouble pimping my stuff, but I'm finding out that will probably be the only way I'll ever move any products. I apologize in advance.

As the holidays quickly approach, think about how you might want to celebrate. I know a few of you have finished your shopping (I'm still not done with '07!), but for those of you who haven't, consider BUYING HANDMADE.

You can say my music's bullsh*t in your uppity review

Ben Folds. No one can command an audience like that guy. Okay, I'm sure others can, but he's the best in my personal experience. I rarely feel snobby about a musician, but I sort of do in this case. I revel in the fact that E and I were present for Ben Folds Five's first ever appearance in Los Angeles at The Roxy, as the opener for Heather Nova back in October of 1995. We've sort of lost count of how many shows we've seen, but it's up around 20, with a few more for E. There are also the various Tonight Show, etc. tapings we've attended over the years.

As with most L.A. venues, we have a place in the Wiltern that is perfect for me to see. I've done the stand-up-against-the-stage thing several times, but outside of the Troubadour most of them are so high that I get a neck cramp. So, we got in line early enough to make it to the railing on the level that is just above the pit and on Ben's side of the stage. Very important as we love to watch his hands perform their mad piano skillz. Give me all of the reasons you don't like him from his whiny voice to his pop-song lyrics, but you must admit he has talent on the piano. Or not. Whatever.

The concert was pretty amped up compared to the scaled-down shows Ben's being doing for the past several years. There were lights, some video projection, and two backup musicians besides the drummer and bass player. They opened big with "Way To Normal," which is not on his new album Way To Normal. You see, Ben recorded a fake version of his latest project and leaked it to the internet before the real album was released. They actually performed both incarnations of many of the songs that were recorded twice. He explained as they went along, so the crowd was not too confused. I actually knew the unofficial tunes more than the official ones!

More photos here.

I did wear the Ben Folds Five shirt I got at that first show. It's a little worn, but something I treasure. Several people commented on it and quite a few kids who were about the same age as the tee were part of the audience too. E and I observed that the demographic of his concerts has changed. We were 25 and 28 for those first few shows. The rest of the crowd was about 25-28 as well. Ben was around 28 or 29. We're 38 and 41 now. Ben's 42. The crowd is now around 20-25. Where was everyone our age? A lot of people our age do talk about how they just can't stand going to concerts anymore. (This does not include Nanette!) Well, I still love them and will continue to go. Sadly, several of my favorites don't come West often.

Ben Folds. He once described his former band's music as "punk rock for sissies." I'll be the first to admit that I am a sissy, so maybe that's why I love him so. His songs tell stories that are funny, sad, bittersweet, sometimes all at once. And sure, I am a bit taken with the Southern drawl. You might just say my redneck past is nipping at my heels.

You Know Where To Find Me

This is where I'll be all day Sunday. You? If you decide to get a jump on holiday shopping, and opt for unique handmade items, then maybe I'll see you there. Look for the Tired Girl Collective. Stop by, say hi, and while there is no obligation, we'd certainly be happy to sell stuff to you too!

I Can't Believe I Gave My Panties To A Geek

Cosette celebrating her Sweet 16 with a pupcake from Three Dog Bakery.
Sorry, I wasn't able to swing the pink convertible she requested.

I've Got My Finger On The Button

That's about where I am right now. Today is my last day of work for the week. I'm facing some dental work tomorrow, which will be painful, and then have LOTS & LOTS to do for Felt Club on Sunday. (Come by, say hi, buy stuff!)

I'm not looking for sympathy. I got myself into this mess, as usual. I procrastinated on both getting my tooth fixed and prep work for the craft show. I screwed up all on my own. No excuses. Full responsibility.

Just wanted to let you know what I'll be up to in case you don't hear from me for a few days. Maybe this time I'll learn.

Jim: If I left, what would I do with all this useless information in my head? You know?...Um, Pam's favorite flavor of which is mixed berry.

I took this food meme from Keely's blog. One of the most difficult things for me is choosing favorites of most anything. I guess I'm wishy-washy, but many favorites vary from day to day with me. So, the following answers are what I feel like fit today. This could all change tomorrow, or later today!

The Rules:

Type your answer to the questions into Flickr search.
Using only the first page of results, pick an image.
Copy and paste each of the URLs in the Mosaic Maker

And now for the questions:

1. What is your favorite restaurant? The Glenwood Pines in Ithaca, NY. (I swear that 2 of my photos came up on the first page of search results!)

2. What is your favorite type of cuisine? Pizza. Is that a cuisine? I don't know, but I could eat it for every day for every meal.

3. What is your favorite comfort food? This definitely varies, but lately it's macaroni & cheese.

4. What is your favorite childhood food? Pork chops.

5. What is your favorite dish to prepare for company? Dinner reservations. Ha! Seriously, I do not cook. Um, hmm...E likes this chicken tortilla soup I sometimes make and I did feed it to friends once.

6. What is your favorite wine? I don't really like wine or drink it very often. If I do, it's blueberry wine from the Tomasello Winery in New Jersey that a friend brings to me. I have it about once every other year. Well, a whole bottle every other year.

7. Who is your favorite chef? Since I'm not into cooking, I don't really watch any of those shows or really know many chefs. I'll go with Gordon Ramsay, as I do watch him. I love his abrasive personality and his attempts to motivate people to be excellent.

8. What is your least favorite food? I'm VERY picky so there are many, but will go with eggs. Blech.

9. What is the most adventurous food you’ve eaten? See above. I'm not a very adventurous eater, but will say venison (deer meat). That my Mom butchered on our front porch. By herself. Ick.

Photo credits:
1. Glenwood Pines, 2. Cheesy Cat Photo, 3. Creamy Three Cheese Macaroni, 4. Porkchop!, 5. Buen ProvechoOoo! :D, 6. 3.5.08 - When work sucks, 7. Gordon Ramsay., 8. Suicide..., 9. VENISON

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Soul Food

It's been a busy weekend. Rusty (yes, the dog) and I had to get up early both yesterday and today. This morning was for a really fun activity. We started a six-week "Wilderness Walks" class, which combines obedience training with local hikes. Good times. It's run by the same organization we've gone to dog camp with the past two years.

Rusty

Being out in nature, with a total of seven dogs, was a pick-me-up my spirit needed. As usual, I've overwhelmed myself with life by procrastinating. Also, a deep sadness has been hovering after Rusty and I attended the funeral of a good friend, H, yesterday. There were about ten dogs at the mass, including H's dog Shadow. It was a new, interesting experience, but didn't take away from the profound pain of losing a friend.

Shadow

The weather was perfect for a nice hike, complete with practice of sit-stays, down-stays, etc. It was not too hot and the sky was blue with a few clouds. I ended up making a couple of trips back and forth in The Valley. When I left North Hills, I drove to Pasadena along the 210. The hills, stripped of any smog layer by the winds, were gorgeous! The clouds casted shadows that added to the beauty. Later, I went Downtown and then briefly back to Pasadena. As I headed west toward home, I soaked in the incredible orange sky, the afterglow of the sunset. Amazing.

It's really what I needed. Outdoor activity and communion with nature. Sure, I'm still behind on several deadlines and have a lot on my plate to deal with, but I feel a little more prepared to move forward. So, I recommend that you all hug a dog or go outside to play. I think you'll feel better.

E pluribus unum

I'm spent. It's been a long, emotional week so far. I've been full of excitement, anxiety, elation, sadness, and fatigue. It's been an overwhelming roller coaster, that's for sure. I've never made my political affiliations a secret. I respect anyone who chooses to, but I'm happy to say that I'm over the moon for our new President-Elect, Barack Obama.

Back in July of 2004, we gathered in some friends' back yard to watch the Democratic National Convention. We wore straw hats, we ate apple pie, and we watched the DNC on a big outdoor screen. I was blown away by the keynote address delivered by Barack Obama, an unknown to me Illinois State Senator. E and I agreed that "this guy will someday be President." Who knew it'd be so soon?

I've cried a lot this week, which may partially explain the exhaustion. I've just been so astonished by what has been accomplished, as well as what steps backwards we've taken. I really can't articulate everything I'm feeling and thinking at this point, but I think you get the idea.

Along with hope and joy, came sadness too. A friend passed away and I'm preparing to attend her services this weekend. Our President-Elect also suffered a great loss this week. Together we grieve, we carry on, we hope. Out of many, one.

YES WE DID!!!

Do The Right Thing

Alaska Family Values

In the interest of wearing a Halloween costume that was topical and something I wouldn't have to spend any money on, I dressed up as Bristol Palin, the pregnant teenage daughter of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Yes, funny, but also kind of tacky, even "nasty" as one person said to me. Well, overall it was fun and a big hit! To help people understand what I was going for, I made a button that said, "Alaska Family Values," complete with an American flag as the background. Thank you, E!

Not the greatest photo, but you get the idea. For the baby bump, I used a round, fleece dog toy. The only problem was that it must have smelled like the dogs because my good friend Daizy, the party hosts' dog, kept sticking her head up under my dress! The only disappointment was not running into anyone dressed as Sarah Palin at the two parties we attended. That is unless you count the guy who cobbled together an assortment of Palinesque things such as an American flag shirt, a beauty pageant sash, a big gun, and price tags on all of his accourements. Not that his get-up wasn't creative and amusing, but I had hoped for the Tina Fey type.

Excuse me while to get back to being totally anxious about Tuesday.

La Muerte Peluda!

In the late '90's, several of us would gather in a friend's living room and watch this new show called South Park. It was hilarious and we loved that in one single episode, every single one of us could be mocked based on cultural background, religion, physical differences, etc. Equal opportunity offenders and a refreshing change from political correctness.

The host of these get-togethers moved out of the country, other got married and/or had babies, and one certain bleached blond cousin was never seen or heard from again. Basically, we all got busy. It was fun while it lasted.

All these many years later, South Park is still on the air with original episodes. We rarely watch these days, but often record it--just in case. E watches more than I do and called me into the den a few nights ago with a "You have GOT to see this!" OMG...the timing couldn't be more perfect and the absurdity. The episode "Pandemic" ended up being an homage to Cloverfield with the monster(s) being....GUINEA PIGS! Live action guinea pigs at that! Having just adopted one ourselves, it was extra hilarious.

It only got better, as this week "Pandemic 2" aired. If you enjoy guinea pigs in costumes (!), you might just want to check out the entire episode, which is online now. "Pandemic" will not be available until November 22nd.

In the spirit of this unbelievable funniness, I created my own Guinea Pirate:

Penny the Pirate